Thunder
by The Story Of Your Life
Summary: Sequel to The Paradigm. Life for Alex and Hiccup couldn't be better. Between marriage and a few other surprises, one would think that peace was finally achievable for them. Unfortunately, life never works out the way anyone expects, and they're about to find that out the hard way. Rated T for mild swearing and violence. ON HOLD!
1. Part One: A New Life

**Chapter One**

" **High rise, veins of the avenue, Bright eyes and subtle variations of blue Everywhere is balanced there like a rainbow above you, Street lights glisten on the boulevard And cold nights make staying alert so hard, For heaven's sake, keep me awake so I won't be caught off guard Clearly I am a passerby but I'll find a place to stay, Dear pacific day, won't you take me away...** "

Music blasted from her iPod speaker as she began unpacking the boxes in her apartment. Life had worked in mysterious ways, as far as Alex was concerned. She never would have thought that at twenty-one, she would be offered a job at the Triskelion in Washington D.C..

It was Alexander Pierce who had asked her to work for SHIELD as a liaison of sorts. When she pictured her life five years ago, she never would have found herself in the position she had, now. Not for the first time, Alex was reminded of how much her life had changed for the better.

Nearly five years ago, she met a dragon known as Snowfire. Snowfire had changed her life in ways she couldn't even imagine by opening her mind, and her world. It was through Snowfire that she had met a group of young Vikings who were known as Dragon Riders. Never in her wildest dreams did she expect to become friends with these people, or, help them find a way back to the world where they came from. Their home happened to be Berk, a place in the past where Vikings once fought with dragons, constantly.

A young Viking known as Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III had discovered there was a way to bring peace between dragons and humans, through befriending a Night Fury named Toothless. While he hadn't known it at the time, Hiccup was the first Rider that Alex met and rescued from the hands of SHIELD. Neither of them were prepared for the adventures that had followed. Alex couldn't have imagined that Hiccup would become more than just a friend, to her.

" **Small town hearts of the New Year, Brought down by gravity, crystal clear City fog and brave dialogue converge on the frontier, Make haste, I feel your heartbeat With new taste for speed, out on the street, Find a road to a humble abode where both of our routes meet The silver sound is all around and the colors fall like snow, The feeling of letting go, I guess we'll never know...** "

Alex closed her eyes as she allowed the music from Owl City to float around her apartment space. So much had changed since they first met. She hadn't realized at the time that she'd changed since they first met. None of this would have happened had fate not played a hand in their lives.

She always liked to believe that in the end, things were meant to happen. In a few weeks, Hiccup was going to be her husband. The thought suddenly made her feel weak-kneed. She couldn't have imagined her life being any different, now. Alex suddenly realized in that span of time that things had indeed changed for the better.

The only downside was, because she had moved to this apartment that was courtesy of SHIELD, Snowfire couldn't necessarily be near her. It was a challenge they were both beginning to overcome. Snowfire lived on Berk with Hiccup and Toothless. She would still visit Berk constantly when she wasn't busy working her new job. Snowfire might not have been happy with these new arrangements, but, it was necessary to keep both the island of Berk safe, and the dragons safe.

Another arrangement they had made was that Steve would become her neighbor along the way. Not that Alex had minded, at the time. She saw Steve as more of a father-figure than anything else. He often stopped by when she wasn't on Berk, whether to have dinner with her or just to talk about the day's events. It was nice, having someone else other than her mother to talk with. Hiccup was her most frequent visitor, since he knew how to operate the portal that she'd kept in the cove. They would often spend evenings together either flying on their dragons or just talking. Anything to release the tension that was slowly building between work and everything else.

The problem was, Hiccup also happened to be Chief of Berk. That role had fallen upon his shoulders when his father was killed in the line of duty during Drago Bludvist's short reign of terror. It was difficult for Hiccup to leave Berk for any period of time. The village elders wanted to keep as many of Berk's traditions as possible. Not that Alex couldn't blame them. The last thing she wanted to do was bring knowledge from the modern world to the past and add to the worry they already felt towards their changing culture.

She was just about finished with her work when she heard a knock on the door. Alex peered over her shoulder before switching the music off and setting her iPod on the kitchen table. Only one person had the courtesy of knocking. Since she'd moved into this apartment about a week ago, she'd begun joining Steve on his morning jogs. It felt good being able to put in an extra burst of effort for her morning workouts. There was no denying that she'd been using these workouts as a way to release the stress she felt due to her new job and everything else.

"You up for a morning jog?" Steve asked when she opened the door.

"Need you ask?" she retorted, grinning as the Super Soldier shook his head in amusement.

She was already dressed for the occasion as she grabbed a bottle of water and joined him moments later at the park. The first rays of dawn light were just beginning to peak around the sky as they ran a few laps around the park already. Someone else was trying to keep up with them, gasping for breath as Steve continued saying 'on your left' when they passed them. By now, Alex was struggling not to laugh as the man in question made a noise of complaint around the third lap. The fact that he was trying to keep up with them was cute. Alex was grateful that she had been training since she moved to Washington.

Once they finally stopped, the man was leaning under a tree and gasping for air as he looked at them accusingly.

"Need a medic?" Steve asked teasingly when the man shook his head.

"I need a new set of lungs. Dude, you just ran like thirteen miles in ten minutes," he gasped out.

Steve just smirked at that.

"I guess I had a late start," Steve replied.

"Oh, really? You should be ashamed of yourself. You should go take another lap," the man insisted, catching his breath before looking at them, "Did you just take it? I assume you took it," he added, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Alex only laughed at that, realizing he'd probably get along well with Hiccup. Sarcasm seemed to be Hiccup's favorite forte. He'd often used it whenever tensions were high among the villagers in an attempt to calm them down.

"What unit are you with?" Steve asked.

"Fifty-eighth para-rescue. But, now I'm workin' down at the VA," he explained before holding out a hand, "Sam Wilson," he introduced himself with a handshake.

"Steve Rogers," Steve introduced himself.

"Yeah, I kinda put that together," Sam replied, "Must have freaked you out, coming home after the whole defrosting thing."

She hadn't thought of what that must have been like for someone who was from the 1940s. Alex glanced at Steve thoughtfully when she noticed his facial expression hadn't changed. Sam's eyes fell on her when he finally noticed her for the first time.

It wasn't any crazier than meeting a Viking and eventually falling in love with him. She kept her mouth shut, though. Alex knew that bringing up Hiccup and the island of Berk would only raise unwanted questions she would have to answer. Besides, they were just beginning to get used to having Hiccup as their Chief, rather than Stoick.

"It takes some getting used to," Steve nodded in agreement, "It's good to meet you, Sam."

"It's your bed, right?" Sam asked when Steve turned to leave.

Alex rose an eyebrow in surprise at that.

Wasn't it a bit rude to just walk away from a friendly conversation? The guy clearly wasn't a threat. She would have sensed it, otherwise.

"What's that?"

"Your bed. It's too soft. When I was over there, I'd sleep on the ground and used rock for pillows like a caveman. Now, I'm home, lying on my bed, it's like…"

"Lying on a marshmallow. Feels like I'm going to sink right to the floor," Steve finished for him. Alex chewed the bottom of her lip when she realized he had a point. When she first started adjusting to sleeping on a bed in Berk, it had taken some getting used to. Now, she was so used to sleeping in Berk that sleeping on a regular bed made her feel uncomfortable. She understood what Sam and Steve were talking about. "How long?"

"Two tours," Sam shrugged in response, "You miss the good old days, don't you?"

 _Because hearing you talk about it in the Tower wasn't bad enough_ , Alex wanted to say as she realized where this was headed. She thought of shifting into a dragon right then and there just to cause a distraction. But, that would only raise Sam's suspicion. Besides, she wasn't in any hurry to give away her position. It had been enough of a struggle having to hide what she could do while out in public. Once she managed to learn how to control her abilities, she knew that revealing the truth would only end in disaster.

"Well, things aren't so bad," Steve began, smirking slightly when he caught the look she was giving him, "Food's a lot better, we used to boil everything. No polio is good. Internet, so helpful." No need to remind her. The Internet had saved her life in more ways than one, literally. She remembered having to rely on her phone for so long when helping Hiccup and his friends across the United States, "I've been reading that a lot trying to catch up."

"Marvin Gaye, 1972, "Trouble Man" soundtrack," Sam suggested with a smile of his own, "Everything you've missed jammed into one album."

Again, Alex almost laughed when she noticed Steve pulling out a little notebook with dozens of notes scribbled on the pages. He'd been writing down all of the things she and Tony had suggested he look up, along with Clint. Every now and then, Hiccup would do the same thing after realizing such knowledge would come in handy.

"This is my a… friend and neighbor, Alex," Steve added after gesturing to Alex for the first time.

Sam eyed her curiously when he noticed the ring on her finger when she crossed her arms.

"Thought she might've been your fiancé or something," he chuckled with a shake of his head.

That was enough for Steve's cheeks to turn a bright shade of red. By now, Alex couldn't hold back the fit of laughter that followed.

"He's more like a father to me," she explained after catching her breath, "No, my fiancé isn't exactly from around here."

"Uh-huh, so, where's he from?" Sam pressed, looking genuinely curious.

Alex shared a knowing look with Steve. Mentioning Berk wouldn't necessarily be a good thing. But, Sam didn't seem like the type of person who would go out of his way to find the island. Still, she wasn't going to trust him right away with that kind of knowledge.

"I'd rather not say it out loud," she admitted, shrugging it off when Steve's phone rang.

She glanced in Steve's direction as she caught the look in his eyes.

"Alright, Sam, duty calls," Steve told him. "Thanks for the run, if that's what you wanna call it."

Sam only smirked at that before laughing, "Oh, that's how it is," he started before Steve returned the gesture.

"Oh, that's how it is," he repeated.

"Okay. Any time you wanna stop by the VA, make me look awesome in front of the girl at the front desk, just let me know," Sam put in.

"So, we're both needed for the mission?" Alex asked, glancing at Steve as he gave a nod. "Good to know."

She'd already left a warning on the table in case Hiccup decided to stop by for a visit. She had been working late-night shifts lately. Not that she didn't mind it. In fact, she loved working alongside Steve and the STRIKE team that SHIELD had organized.

Because things had been going so smoothly across the world, the Avengers had decided to take a small break between living together in the Tower. Clint was off doing some top-secret work in who knew where. Natasha was working alongside Steve and Alex during some of their missions, and Thor had returned to Asgard to continue his work with Odin.

All-in-all, it was business as usual.

Alex watched as a black sports car pulled up to the curve where she and Steve were waiting. Sam stood not far away, watching them curiously.

"Hey, fellas. Either of you know where the Smithsonian is? I'm here to pick up a fossil," she joked, and Alex shook her head in amusement as she climbed into the back seat.

Some things never got old. Natasha's quips and jabs at Steve's age were one of them.

"That's hilarious," Steve replied flatly.

Sam peered through the window as Natasha eyed him curiously.

"How you doing?" he asked.

"Hey," she greeted him with a charming smile after pulling down her sunglasses.

Steve turned to Sam after opening the door.

"You can't run everywhere," he shrugged.

"No, you can't," Sam chuckled in agreement.

…

After making sure that Hiccup knew she wouldn't be around that evening, Alex had already changed into the suit she normally used while on missions. She knew she would likely get an earful for doing this. But, she'd accepted this job because it was just that – a job. Not only did she need the money if she wanted to continue visiting this world, but, she also wanted to help people. She was only just beginning to understand that maybe, just maybe she could do something good with the powers the serum had given her.

So, it was with that notion she'd agreed to join Steve's little STRIKE team and help out on whatever missions they took part in when they needed the backup. The whole team was gathered in the sleek quinjet as it headed for their latest destination. Alex was prepping herself as she listened to Agent Rumlow give the rundown on what was happening.

"The target is a mobile satellite launch platform: The Lemurian Star," Rumlow explained as Steve stood nearby, dressed in full uniform, "It was sending up their last payload when pirates took them, ninety-three minutes ago."

"Any demands?" Steve asked.

"A billion and a half," Rumlow replied.

"Why so steep?"

"Because it SHIELD's."

Rumlow's response didn't make sense to Alex. She chewed the bottom of her lip as she realized there was something else going on, here.

"So it's not off course, it's trespass," Steve muttered after turning to Natasha, voicing her thoughts.

"I'm sure they have a good reason," Natasha replied, glancing at Alex as if she expected her to speak up.

She was normally more vocal during these kind of missions. Something was eating at her, and the redhead already seemed to guess that.

"You know, I'm getting a little tired of being Fury's janitor," Steve sighed in exasperation.

"Be glad you don't have to pick up after the mess the twins leave," Alex pointed out, shuddering as she recalled a mess Ruffnut and Tuffnut had left just a week ago.

They never ceased their constant need for pranks. And had been getting into all sorts of trouble with Hiccup as the new Chief. Steve seemed to think that through when he realized that cleaning up after Fury was probably a little easier than cleaning up after _them_.

"Relax, it's not all that complicated," Natasha put in with a knowing smirk, "I thought he put a leash on those two after their last incident?"

"This _is_ Ruffnut and Tuffnut we're talking about, Nat," Alex reminded her, "Those two are more than likely to cause chaos wherever they go. Something tells me they won't be stopping, anytime soon."

She hadn't missed the fact that Rumlow or his men had been listening to them. Smirking at the prospect, she suspected they were trying to figure out who or what they were talking about. Natasha was probably Berk's most frequent visitor, aside from her mother and Steve.

"How many pirates?" Steve asked, ignoring their jibe at the twins.

"Twenty-five, top mercs, led by this guy. Georges Batroc," Rumlow replied. Alex quirked an eyebrow as she eyed the file warily, "Ex-TGSE, Action Division. He's at the top of Interpol's "red notice". Before the French demobilized him, he had thirty-six kill missions. This guys got a rep for maximum casualties."

"Hostages?"

"Uh… mostly techs. One officer, Jasper Sitwell," Rumlow reported, "They're in the galley."

Both Alex and Steve frowned at the mention of Sitwell. The man shouldn't have been there unless it was for a good reason. She couldn't shake off the feeling this was more than just a clean-up mission.

"What's Sitwell doing on a launch ship?" Steve muttered almost to himself, "Alright, I'm gonna sweep the deck and find Batroc. Nat, you'll kill the engines and wait for instructions. Rumlow, you sweep aft, find the hostages, get them to life pods. get 'em out. Alex, stick with me. Let's go."

Alex nearly rolled her eyes at that, crossing her arms once more as she thought of where this was headed. She'd been training under Natasha and Clint for nearly four years, now. While she still had a lot to learn, she was stronger than he realized.

"STRIKE, you heard the Captain. Gear up!" Rumlow ordered.

"Secure channel seven."

"Channel seven secure." Natasha turned to Steve after saying that, a playful smirk written across her face. Alex already guessed where this was headed, and, she hoped that Natasha would leave her out of it, "You do anything fun Saturday night?"

"Well, all the guys from my barbershop quartet are dead, so… No, not really," Steve replied.

Alex tilted her head to one side, wondering where he was getting t with that. Okay, she had to ask about that quartet group, sometime. Something told her there was a great story involved round it.

"Coming up by the drop zone, Cap," Rumlow reported.

Alex glanced over her shoulder, smirking in amusement as she caught the look Natasha was giving Steve. Natasha had a way of making conversations between herself and anyone involved. Alex knew it was her way of keeping the situation light. Since there was tension among them, Alex found herself grateful for Natasha's sudden interference.

"You know, if you ask Kristen out, from Statistics, she'll probably say yes," she said, earning a look from the Super Soldier moments later.

"That's why I don't ask," Steve replied before preparing for the jump.

"Too shy, or too scared?" Natasha asked.

Before Natasha could pry open the hangar door, Alex grabbed onto a nearby railing and hung on for dear life. She was amazed that Steve wasn't afraid of jumping without a chute. His body could probably take more than a few hits before reaching the ground below. Alex, on the other hand, had another idea in up her sleeve.

"Too busy!" Steve shouted back before suddenly jumping down.

"What about you?" Natasha turned to Alex, the smirk never leaving as she rolled her eyes when a STRIKE agent had asked if Steve was using a chute.

"I'm not justifying that with an answer," she retorted before letting go of the rail.

No one moved to stop her as Alex began descending towards the ship. Within seconds, her body shifted from that of a human to a dragon. And, not just any dragon, but, a Night Fury. Her heart swelled with joy as she soared through the air, keeping an eye on the sky as Steve ordered before dropping to the deck.

It didn't take her long to send a few of the pirates flying in different directions. Growling as a couple of others came approaching, none of them were brave enough to reach her when Steve knocked them out. Alex couldn't hide the triumphant grin that followed when she shifted back into a human.

"Thanks," he nodded his thanks as she crossed her arms.

"Yeah, well, you looked pretty helpless back there," she rolled her eyes.

"What about the nurse that lives across the hall from you?" Natasha went on when she landed beside Alex in her parachute. "She seems kind of nice."

"Secure the engine room, then find me a date," Steve snapped.

"I'm multitasking."

…

"Since when has anyone's love interest been your forte?" Alex asked when they reached the main engine room after knocking out several more pirates.

Natasha slid her way down on a rope, while Alex managed to fly down and reach the bottom deck before her. Natasha just threw her a look that said it all.

"Since we learned you and Hiccup were engaged," she shrugged it off. Alex rose an eyebrow at that, before hacking away into the main security wall. Natasha had warned her ahead of time what this mission was really about. Gathering whatever intel they could on SHIELD and storing it into a file. "By the way, have you set a wedding date?"

"Not really," she muttered, looking around warily as she realized they were wasting valuable time, "I mean, I think we're still trying to wrap our heads over the fact that we're engaged… not to mention we haven't even discussed whether it'll be a traditional wedding on Berk, or here."

Natasha was ready to say something else when Steve's voice sounded through the com, "Natasha, Batroc's on the move. Circle back to Rumlow and protect the hostages." By now, Alex had gotten so used to ignoring whatever voices were in her head that it became second-nature. "Natasha!"

Before either of them could get a word in their defense, glass suddenly shattered around them, covering the floor where Alex had been standing minutes ago. Her eyes widened in surprise upon seeing Batroc, before Steve jumped into the room and glared at the both of them.

 _Don't look at me_ , Alex wanted to say out loud, knowing that wouldn't get her anywhere. She was just following orders, as far as she was concerned.

"Well, this is awkward," Natasha quipped while keeping her eyes on the keyboard and computer screen.

'What are you doing?" Steve demanded once he picked up his shield.

"Backing up the hard drive. It's a good habit to get into," Natasha replied without missing a beat.

"Rumlow needed your help. What the hell are you doing here?" he snapped after reaching them, shooting Alex an accusing glare. The last thing she wanted was to get involved with whatever was going on between them. Though, something told her she would be dragged in no matter what. "You're saving SHIELD Intel," he breathed out after realizing the real reason behind them being there.

"Whatever intel we can get our hands on," Alex spoke up this time, "SHIELD's been keeping files on all of the dragons that were spotted in this world."

"Our mission was to rescue the hostages," Steve retorted, looking more than frustrated with their lack of cooperation.

"No. That was your mission," Natasha corrected him before pulling out the flash drive, "And you did it beautifully."

She was ready to turn and leave when Steve caught her by the arm. Alex's gaze swept over to Batroc when she noticed that he hadn't been knocked out cold. At least, not completely. Neither Natasha nor Steve were listening when Alex realized too late that Batroc was slowly stirring.

Just as the pair started arguing, Batroc suddenly threw a grenade in their direction. Steve managed to deflect it before the grenade could hit them, but not before it exploded in the air. Natasha jumped out of the way just in time, while Alex shifted back into a dragon and used her wings for protection.

"Okay, that one's on me," Natasha groaned when the smoke cleared.

Growling in annoyance, Alex shifted back into her human form and shot them both a cold look.

"You're damn right," Steve muttered crossly.

* * *

 **Lyrics come from the song Rainbow Veins by Owl City**

 **AN: I originally wasn't going to post this sequel until I had up to ten chapters written up, but, I'm already at chapter five, so I figured I could just as easily catch up with them. I'll try and post one chapter every other week, or once a week depending on how much time I've got on my hands. The title of this story is based off of Imagine Dragon's newest song, 'Thunder'. Yes, I have heard their amazing new album :D It was worth the wait! I am also opening up with The Winter Soldier, so I may or may not involve Guardians of the Galaxy later on, along with Age of Ultron, depending on how far this goes. Anywho, I'll be responding to reviews from the last chapter in the previous story...**

 **Sil - Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much. It was definitely a challenging story to write, even though it kind of wrote itself XD Yeah, Hiccup finally popped the question. Now, it's just a matter of figuring out when they'll finally get married.**

 **Scout107 - XD I hope you didn't break your phone in the process. I don't wanna be responsible for any accidents :P And I'm glad that you liked my OC... I was worried about it being a bit unrealistic, but, I figured I might as well wing and see where it goes. Hopefully, the sequel will live up to the original, because I've got big plans for it :)**

 **Retrokill - I'm glad that you enjoyed it so much! I do love adding a bit of romance into any story, especially with happy endings :)**

 **Dragondancer81 - Alas, the original is over. But, I've opened up the sequel. I am glad that you enjoyed it, and hopefully you'll enjoy the sequel just as much :)**

 **One last note: I did decide to switch to third-person point of view, for multiple reasons. I find switching between points of views from first-person to third is a bit tedious, and I wanted to change things up a bit. So, I hope readers don't mind the sudden change.**


	2. Back Home, Temporarily

**Chapter Two**

Few things in life had kept Alex as happy as spending time on the island of Berk. There, she was surrounded by the people she began to see as her family. There, she felt more at home than she ever could where she originally came from.

She found it ironic, when she thought of how fate worked. Years ago, she would have never found herself in the position she was in. Back before she met Hiccup and his friends, her life had basically been one big high school drama. Of course, it still was, in some ways.

Working with SHIELD had its benefits and downfalls. Alex had quickly learned that when it came to working for SHIELD, Fury seemed to have his own agenda. Steve's reaction to Natasha backing up the hard drive on the Lemurian Star was just another reminder of that notion. She didn't want to admit that she was nervous about what had led to Fury's desire to keep such files, and back them up. Something told her it would lead to nothing good.

"Have you thought of what you'll be doing as far as weddings go?" her mother asked when she joined Alex and Hiccup later in the morning.

They'd spent the morning just talking about the mission from the other night. Alex had left out some of the more dangerous parts, knowing that would only add to her mother's concern about taking part in these missions. As far as her mother knew, she was working at Washington D.C. for some government project. While she knew about Alex's ties with the Avengers, she wasn't aware of her ties with SHIELD and Director Fury. Alex figured it was safer that way, for her mother. The last thing she wanted was to get her involved with any of this madness.

 _I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to her because of me_ , she reminded herself.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my mind over the fact that I'm engaged," Alex admitted.

After mentioning that to Natasha, she had a feeling that those emotions weren't going to leave anytime soon. The truth was, she never expected to find herself in the position she was in now. She couldn't help but grin sheepishly when Hiccup nudged her knowingly.

He'd been nervous as all heck, as well. Of course, most of the village expected them to have a traditional Viking wedding. Alex had no problem with that, but her mother wanted her to have a traditional wedding from the twenty-first century. She knew that there was a lot pressure on their shoulders, either way.

"Well, as far as dates are concerned, I would say the sooner the better," her mother put in with a look that said it all. She'd been dying to be part of the whole planning process, since neither of them were even sure where to begin. This was new territory for both of them, as far as they were concerned. "Anything can happen, and it's obvious the two of you love each other."

"She isn't wrong about that," Hiccup said, glancing at Alex apprehensively as she blushed a little.

She still couldn't get used to the fact that this was happening at all. When Hiccup had proposed to her, it felt as if she was on cloud nine. Heck, she still felt that way. Yet, Alex couldn't shake off the feeling that this was some crazy dream she would wake up from. After all, she'd never met anyone who was willing to spend the rest of their life with her. Much less someone like Hiccup.

"Look, I know that you want a traditional wedding and all in our world, but I'm not sure if it's a good idea to break that many rules and traditions," Alex murmured.

She let her fingers thrum along the table while thinking of the countless possibilities that would ultimately lead to a fight among the village elders.

She didn't want to get between Hiccup's responsibilities as Chief and the people of Berk. So many changes had happened already, that she knew one more change would set them over the edge. From what she had learned through living with the Avengers, it was better to take things slowly and build up to what they now had.

' _Why do you humans have so many strange traditions to begin with_?' Snowfire asked with an indignant huff. She and Toothless were sitting side-by-side, both looking rather annoyed that they hadn't gone on their morning flights, yet, ' _I do not understand why there has to be any discussion on this matter in the first place_.'

"People have different beliefs throughout the world and centuries," her mother explained in a matter-of-fact tone. Snowfire only rolled her eyes at that, earning a smirk from Alex. She never did approve of humans getting involved with arguments or fighting over petty beliefs, "And I appreciate the fact that you want to keep up with all of this, but you are still _not_ from this world."

Her mother added the last part with a punctuated 'not', making Alex cringe visibly. Of course she knew she wasn't from Berk. Where she came from, dragons didn't even exist. She'd become so accustomed to life on Berk, that it felt more like home than the world she was born into ever would.

She hated admitting that she felt like an outsider in her own world. Maybe it was because she had finally found her place on Berk. When she and Hiccup had first begun seeing one another, she still felt like an outsider. Now, things were different for both of them.

The people of Berk saw her as one of their own now that she and Hiccup had been dating for as long as they had, and now that they were engaged. Alex always found it ironic that she'd found a true home in an entirely different world.

"Alex, I don't want to get between you or your family," Hiccup sighed with a shake of his head, frowning at the thought of causing an uncomfortable rift between mother and daughter.

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip as doubt clouded her thoughts. If she knew things were going to be this complicated, she would have thought it through before reaching an agreement. Her mother always seemed to make things worse without realizing it. And while she loved her mother with all of her heart, there were times when she wished her mother would back down.

"Mom, I need time to think about all of this," she snapped, eyes narrowing as she looked at her mother defiantly, "This is all happening so fast that I can't wrap my mind around it."

Her mother looked as if she was ready to argue when she thought better of it. Sensing that she was no longer welcome, she finally left the four of them in peace. Toothless let out a warble of concern when he noticed the rising tension between them.

Hiccup glanced at Alex anxiously as she too stood up and reached Snowfire, who lowered her snout and looked at her sympathetically. She knew that Alex had been through a lot. This, though, was something neither of them had been prepared for.

' _Speak your mind, hatchling_ ,' she spoke softly, her voice gentle and soothing.

"I don't even know where to begin, Snow," she sighed, suddenly wishing she hadn't brought anything up at all revolving around their future, or hers with Hiccup. "I love my mother, but there are times when I need to make my own decisions without her influencing them."

She didn't want to vent out her problems here of all places. The best way for that to happen was through combat practice. While she wasn't anywhere near the same level as Natasha Romanoff or even Astrid, she had gotten better throughout the years.

"Maybe we should go on a flight," Hiccup suggested, knowing that would help blow off some steam.

"You don't need to tell me, twice," Alex nodded in agreement, all-too-eager to leave before the tension got any worse.

Of course, Toothless and Snowfire had jumped at the opportunity of going on a flight around the island. Both dragons were eager to stretch their wings after being stuck in the house for what felt like hours.

The moment they were freed from the restrictions of a building, Snowfire and Toothless felt more relaxed than ever as they leveled out. From on the back of a dragon, Alex felt her own tension begin to dissipate.

She wasn't willing to admit that talking to her mom was like walking on thin ice, these last couple of weeks. Mom knew that something was up since she'd moved to Washington D.C., but Alex knew that sharing such intel would only put her life in danger. It was better that she kept the role of working with Steve and the STRIKE team a secret.

"I miss being able to do this without worrying about anything," Hiccup admitted once they'd circled around the island once before doing some real exploring.

"You're telling me," Alex sighed wistfully. She'd thought of the lazy days they would spend just flying or relaxing on a sea stack with no one to bother them. Those days were long-gone, with their ever-busy schedules. "I wish I didn't have to leave Snowfire here while I'm in Washington… it doesn't feel right."

' _Of course, it does not feel right_ ,' Snowfire huffed in annoyance, ' _We should not have separated in the first place_.'

"I'm not sure how the people of my world would react to seeing a dragon," she pointed out, "SHIELD had to make some crazy excuse when the Red Death tried attacking Atlantic City, along with the other dragons that were spotted."

Hiccup frowned when he realized what she meant by that. SHIELD had been doing its best at keeping the dragons and Berk a secret. If the world knew about both, there would more than likely be chaos. Alex couldn't even imagine how the people of her world would react to that kind of news.

"I never did understand why they asked you to start working for them," he pondered out loud, "Seems strange to me that they would."

' _The other hatchling brings up a good point_ ,' Snowfire put in. They had already reached a sea stack where they could relax for a little before returning. ' _I still do not trust them after what they did to us_.'

Toothless warbled in agreement to that. After they were captured and put in chains by Fury's orders, Alex couldn't blame them for being so reluctant to trust him. Truthfully, she didn't entirely trust him either. Though she had her own reasons for not wanting to trust him entirely. Knowing that Fury had been able to find files on her history and her father's history hadn't made things any easier. Not to mention he had those files locked somewhere in SHIELD's database.

 _If anyone ever got a hold of those files, I'd never hear the end of it_ , she realized.

"Have you ever heard the saying, keep your friends close, and your enemy's closer?" she deadpanned, earning a look of surprise from Hiccup, "I figured this would be a good way to keep an eye on SHIELD, since the Avengers parted ways."

Nodding in understanding, Hiccup realized that she brought up a valid point. He didn't like the idea of Alex risking her life for that, but he knew there was no point in arguing with her logic. Especially when she would likely go out of her way and put her life in danger no matter what anyone said.

"What's it like in Washington?" he asked curiously.

"It's actually nicer than I expected," she replied, offering a smile as she thought of the places that she'd visited, so far. The Smithsonian was next on her list of places to check out. "Steve asked if I could go with him to the Smithsonian tomorrow; I figured it would be a good thing."

When Hiccup asked what the Smithsonian was, Alex went on to explain that it was a series of museums scattered across the Mall. Then, he asked what the Mall was. They'd spent a good portion of their afternoon just talking about it. Not that Alex didn't mind. She enjoyed talking about the places in her world that Hiccup wanted to see when he had the chance. He was eager to learn more, and, she couldn't blame him for his curiosity.

He and the other Riders had only gotten a slim chance to see the United States. There was still so much the world had to offer. Alex only just began to realize that after spending time with him. Snowfire had given her that chance to explore the world, along with SHIELD.

The sun had only just begun to set when they returned to Berk. Alex knew that they should have gotten back sooner, especially since Hiccup still had work to do as Chief. To her surprise, though, the island seemed relatively at peace. The usual antics of dragons would always catch her attention. Such as a pair of Deadly Nadders squabbling over a fish, or, Terrible Terror perched on a roof nearby.

It amazed her at how the people of Berk had become so accustomed to dragons. She almost wished the same could be said about her world. She knew that the moment people found out dragons were real, there would be panic. They would want to know why the dragons were in this world only, and how the people of Berk made peace with them.

"You know, I think I'm looking forward to the day when our lives finally get back to normal," Hiccup sighed apprehensively when they landed at the cove.

Alex threw him a look that said it all, "Hiccup, I don't think our lives are ever going to be normal," she pointed out.

She knew full-well their lives were never going to be normal, especially with the Avengers involved. Either way, she didn't mind the way things were. Despite the obvious tension between mom and everything else, Alex was fully aware that things could be far worse. The only sense of relief she felt that day was the feeling of Hiccup's arms wrapping around her waist as they went to sleep that evening. Here, she felt safe, and nothing was ever going to change that.

* * *

 **AN: Happy July, everyone :) With the 4th of July coming up (which also happens to be Captain America's birthday), I thought I'd post this chapter... even though it's technically not the 4th, yet. At any rate, I hope everyone enjoyed this little filler of a chapter, and the tension rising between Alex and her mother (yes, she still calls her 'mom')... Onto review replies!**

 **Retrokill - Thanks for reviewing, I hope you liked it :)**

 **Scout107 - XD That's good to hear. I did want to post it earlier, but I also wanted to make sure that I had at least five chapters written before I started posting it. I'm still having issues with my other story (mostly laziness and procrastinating... and writer's block), and I don't want that happening with this story. As for Alex changing into a Night Fury more often, that will be happening, especially as the story progresses :) And, finally, I do plan on keeping a one-week posting schedule. Hopefully, I can keep up with it.**

 **Sil - I'm glad you liked it so much, that's exactly what I was aiming for :D The Winter Soldier was probably one of my favorites... right next to the Civil War. Hopefully I can do the movie justice by adding Alex into it :)**


	3. Project Insight

**Chapter Three**

The walk into Fury's office had taken what felt like an eternity. Silence surrounded them as Alex walked alongside Steve knowingly. He was annoyed with the way Natasha had handled the mission, and that she hadn't said a thing about Natasha's mission with Fury. What surprised her, though, was that Steve hadn't placed the blame on her. After all, she had known about the side-mission and that Natasha was only there to back up the files on the Lemurian Star.

The elevator finally reached its destination, and Alex found herself fumbling with whatever she could to keep herself distracted.

"You just can't stop yourself from lying, can you?" Steve started once he reached Fury's office.

The Director threw both Steve and Alex a look that said it all. As much as she hated to admit it, Alex didn't want to be any part of this. But, she did know that Steve made a valid point when it came to knowing why people were part of his team. Natasha had lied to him, though, Alex suspected Natasha lied more often than she told the truth.

"I didn't lie; Agent Romanoff and Miss Hendrickson had a different mission than yours," Fury replied from where he sat, keeping his own expression impossible to read.

Alex almost rolled her eyes at Fury's response. She had a feeling he was expecting Steve would complain about the mission. Fury must have been waiting for him, otherwise he wouldn't have prepared such a response.

"Which you didn't feel obliged to share," Steve shot back, crossing his arms.

"I'm not obliged to do anything," Fury retorted.

Well, he wasn't lying about that. Being the Director of SHIELD meant that Fury could keep whatever information he had away from prying eyes, including Steve's. That didn't sit well with Steve, though. Alex noticed his lips purse for a moment as he debated whether or not he should glare back.

"Those soldiers could've died, Nick," Steve snapped.

"I sent the greatest soldier in history to make sure that didn't happen," Fury replied, turning his chair so that his back faced them.

"Soldiers trust each other, that's what makes it an army. Not a bunch of guys running around shooting guns."

Steve's statement reminded Alex a bit too much of the bond shared between Rider and dragon. On Berk, the bond between them meant they had the ultimate trust in their dragons. Alex knew that without that trust, the dragons would just as easily turn on them.

"The last time I trusted someone, I lost an eye," Fury told him in a stern tone. Alex rose an eyebrow at that. She had always wondered how Fury lost his eye. Clint would always make a joke about it, but, even he never knew the truth behind it, "Look, I didn't want you doing anything you weren't comfortable with. Agent Romanoff is comfortable with everything, along with Hendrickson, in moderation."

"Damn right about that," Alex snorted in response, crossing her arms as she looked back, ignoring Steve's incredulous look, "Just for the record, I didn't agree with what he did, back there."

"I can't lead a mission when the people I'm leading have missions of their own," Steve snapped.

They could go on forever, if Fury allowed it. Alex knew that Steve had a valid point in trusting others. Despite the fact that Fury didn't seem to trust anyone, he should have at least trusted Steve with the knowledge of Natasha's mission.

"It's called compartmentalization," Fury informed him, "Nobody spills the secrets because nobody knows them all."

"And then you wonder why the dragons never trusted you," Alex muttered under her breath.

Of course, she doubted Fury cared whether or not the dragons trusted him. Snowfire would have had a few choice words for his response if she had heard his remark.

"Except you," Steve snapped knowingly.

Alex narrowed her eyes as Fury turned so that he was facing them, again. His expression was impossible to make out. Fury was the kind of person who could easily hide any emotions, much like Natasha. It drove her crazy, at times, because she knew that he could be angry and would never show it unless he snapped at someone.

"You're wrong about me. I do share. I'm nice like that."

 _I'll believe that shit when I see it_ , Alex retorted silently.

Fury stood up from his desk and walked between them, gesturing for them to follow. Alex rose an eyebrow as she did just that, reaching the elevator with Steve only taking a couple of strides to reach them.

"Insight Bay," Fury said once they stepped inside the elevator.

"Captain Rogers and Miss Hendrickson do not have clearance for Project Insight," a computerized voice responded.

She didn't want to know how the computer had already figured out her name. Though, something told her that SHIELD had files on just about everyone the agency crossed paths with. Frankly, it was strange enough and creepy enough to know that they had files on her to begin with.

"Director Override; Fury, Nicholas. J," Fury replied.

"Confirmed."

The elevator began to go down. Alex found herself feeling uncomfortable standing between both Director Fury and Steve. The silence that followed was awkward, at best.

"You know, they used to play music," Steve said, cutting through the silence.

"Yeah," Fury replied, "My grandfather operated one of these things for forty years. My granddad worked in a nice building, he got good tips. He'd walk home every night, roll of ones stuffed in his lunch bag. He'd say "hi", people would say hi back. Time went on, neighborhood got rougher. He'd say "Hi", they'd say, "Keep on steppin'." Granddad got to grippin' that lunch bag a little tighter."

"Did he ever get mugged?" Steve asked.

"Every week, some punk would say, 'what's in the bag?'"

Alex closed her eyes for a moment as she imagined how terrifying that must have been. She knew from experience how to deal with thugs, now, thanks to Natasha and a few years of working alongside Astrid. Still, that hadn't stopped her from facing her past in the face of her father.

"Well, what'd he do?" Steve asked curiously.

"He'd show 'em. A bunch of crumpled ones and loaded 0.22 Magnum," Fury replied. His smirk told Alex that that wasn't the only thing his granddad would show them. "Granddad loved people. But he didn't trust them very much." He paused as the elevator doors finally opened, revealing what looked like a huge hangar bay filled with three large Hellicarriers. Alex's jaw nearly dropped at the sight. People were running to and from construction sites, shouting orders to one another. The chaos involved was enough to make her head spin. "Yeah, I know. They're a little bit bigger than a 0.22."

"This is… huge," Alex whispered, earning a look from Fury.

He knew she was capable of keeping secrets – hell, she'd kept the secret of her abusive father from Hiccup and the others for as long as she could. The only reason it slipped out in the first place was because of his untimely return. The end results had been disastrous, even though Hiccup and the other Riders were able to stop her father once and for all.

"This is Project Insight. Three next generation Hellicarriers synced to a network of targeting satellites," Fury explained once they had a full view of what was going on around them.

"Launched from the Lemurian Star," Steve guessed after glancing at Fury warily.

They continued walking on, and Alex couldn't help but take everything in with a mixture of awe and worry.

 _Power like this in the wrong hands could be dangerous_ , she thought. She knew that one wrong move could lead to disaster.

"Once we get them in the air they never need to come down," Fury explained to them, "Continuous suborbital flight courtesy of our new repulser engines."

"Stark?" Steve asked in surprise.

"Well, he had a few suggestions once he got an up close look at our old turbines," Fury replied with a shrug, "These new long range precision guns can eliminate a thousand hostiles a minute. The satellites can read a terrorist's DNA before he steps outside his spider hole. We gonna neutralize a lot of threats before they even happen."

"Whatever happened to judge and jury?" Alex asked warily, chewing the bottom of her lip, "What if this kind of technology fell into the wrong hands?"

Steve looked at her in surprise when she voiced her own opinion. She knew she didn't really have a say in the matter. Not only was she technically still new to all of this, but, she'd been on Berk more often than her own world.

"We won't let that happen," Fury reassured her, though, she didn't miss the doubt in Steve's eyes.

He didn't like the idea anymore than she did.

"I thought the punishment usually came after the crime," he said thoughtfully.

"We can't afford to wait that long."

"I hate to ask this, but, who's this 'we' thing you're asking?" Alex asked.

"After New York, I convinced the World Security Council we needed a quantum surgeon threat analysis. For once we're way ahead of the curve." The firmness in Fury's tone was enough to send a shiver through Alex.

No, she didn't like this one bit. Something told her that this could go wrong, very quickly.

"By holding a gun at everyone on Earth and calling it protection," Steve voiced her thoughts, looking at Fury accusingly.

"You know, I read those SSR files. Greatest generation? You guys did some nasty stuff," Fury retorted.

Alex narrowed her eyes when Fury brought that up. Steve was also clearly put off by that. While he did a good job at hiding it, he was clearly unhappy with the thought of his era being brought up.

"Yeah, we compromised. Sometimes in ways that made us not sleep so well. But we did it so the people could be free. This isn't freedom, this is fear," he snapped.

"SHIELD takes the world as it is, not as we'd like it to be. It's getting damn near past time for you to get with that program, Cap."

It was Steve's turn to narrow his eyes, this time. As much as Alex didn't want to admit it, there was a reason she didn't fully trust Fury. This was one of those reasons. His lack of trust in them was enough for her to remember why she had been so reluctant to sign up for this crap in the first place.

"I may not know much about SHIELD politics, but, I do know that this is wrong," she snapped, ignoring the warning look Steve gave her, "Maybe you should rethink your idea of 'justice' and what this is going to do to the public if word ever got out."

Fury looked as if he was ready to argue when Steve stepped between them. The look in his eyes told her that this confrontation was far from over. Alex only crossed her arms and looked back defiantly. She didn't care whether or not she was breaking some kind of rule by speaking out. He needed to hear that, whether he liked it or not.

"Don't hold your breath," Steve said, giving Fury a look that dared him to speak out before he led the way out.

She only shook her head as she trailed after Steve, knowing that the sooner she left this place, the better she would feel.

The moment they reached the elevator was when Alex let out a rush of air she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I'm beginning to wonder why I bothered signing into this," she muttered crossly, watching the numbers change as the elevator reached its destination, "At least on Berk, life is a lot simpler, aside from the usual threats."

Steve was quiet as the elevator doors slid open. She couldn't help but glance at him warily, wondering if what Fury had told him was getting to him. She knew that Fury wouldn't hold back when it came to convincing someone otherwise. He'd used the same tactics on her when it came to signing up with the STRIKE team, and working with Steve and Natasha.

"Your life is beginning to sound more and more appealing," he finally admitted out loud. "You were right about what you said, back there."

"Doesn't mean that isn't what Fury wants to hear," she rolled her eyes knowingly.

"You aren't afraid to voice your opinion, though," Steve pointed out as they reached his motorcycle.

"Sometimes I wonder if that's gotten me into trouble more often than not," she sighed, looking down at the ground, "I guess I got that from Snowfire."

There were a lot of things she could thank Snowfire for. Her best friend had taught her to open up, more. She could never forget the moment when they first met and bonded. Those were the kind of memories that she would always cherish, because they had opened her world up in more ways than one.

…

After learning how to ride on a motorcycle thanks to Steve and his remarkable patience, they had finally reached the Smithsonian Museum. The Smithsonian was actually a series of buildings that were separated into different sections. The Air and Space Center was Alex's favorite building, because there was so much to see. She'd learned that it took at least a week to get through all of the buildings, and that they were usually almost always packed with people.

Today was no different, as she found herself weaving through the crowd with Steve ahead of her. He'd chosen to put on a disguise in the attempts of blending in with the crowd. So far, it had been working. The last thing he wanted, or needed, was to be harassed by hundreds of people.

They had already reached the Captain America exhibit. Alex had read from the brochure that the place was filled with World War II objects, along with Steve's original Captain America outfit. She had promised Hiccup that when things had settled down, they would stop by and visit the Smithsonian. His interest in modern culture had taken Alex by surprise, but, she didn't plan on turning down the opportunity to show him everything she could.

"A symbol to the nation. A hero to the world. The story of Captain America is one of honor, bravery and sacrifice," the narrator began, "Denied enlistment due to poor health, Steven Rogers was chosen for a program unique in the annals of American warfare. One that would transform him into the world's first super soldier."

She watched in amusement as a couple of boys and girls tried comparing their sizes to the Captain America cutout placed nearby. A smaller, skinnier version of Steve stood beside it. Alex quirked an eyebrow when she noticed that despite the size comparison, he didn't look entirely different.

"I didn't know you were this skinny," she admitted when Steve reached her.

He almost smiled at the sight, clearly remembering the days when he had just been Steve Rogers.

"Back then, Bucky was usually there to defend me from bullies," he explained. "I was usually too stubborn to back down from a fight."

"He must have been a good friend," she murmured thoughtfully.

Alex couldn't help but think of her own friendship with Jacob. They had been friends since the beginning of school. Things hadn't changed, much, since then.

Steve only nodded in agreement and moved on to the next exhibit. Alex decided to leave him be and turned her attention to a wall that had more than a dozen names inscribed on it. She studied each name carefully, recognizing a few as the Howling Commandos and others that she didn't recognize.

"Battle tested, Captain America and his Howling Commandos quickly earned their stripes. Their mission, taking down HYDRA, the Nazi rogue science division," the narrator went on as Alex moved from one exhibit to the next, "Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both school yard and battlefield. Barnes is the only Howling commando to give his life in service of his country."

Her eyes widened as she saw an image of Bucky Barnes standing beside Steve. She couldn't help but wonder what it must have been like, to live in that time and see them all in action. It must have been both amazing and terrifying, at the same time.

She hardly noticed Steve's arrival until spotting a kid out of the corner of her eye. Dressed in his own Captain America t-shirt, the kid was staring at Steve in awe when he recognized him. She almost laughed when Steve held a finger to his mouth, and the kid gave a subtle nod of understanding.

The moment the kid left was when Steve returned to the exhibit regarding Bucky and the Howling Commandos. Alex could see guilt and regret written across his eyes, telling her that he still felt responsible for what had happened to Bucky. She kept her mouth shut as they reached a room where a movie played.

"That was a difficult winter. A blizzard had trapped half our battalion behind the German line," the familiar image of Peggy Carter appeared on the screen. Steve hadn't mentioned her, much, but, Alex recognized her from the history books as the first woman to become a spy and help begin SHIELD, "Steve… Captain Rogers, he fought his way through a HYDRA blockade that had pinned our allies down for months. He saved over a thousand men, including the man who would… who would become my husband as it turned out. Even after he died, Steve was still changing my life."

Seeing her smile told Alex that Peggy had never fully gotten over the loss of losing Steve. She wondered if Steve still felt the same. Peggy was still alive, but, suffering from Alzheimer's. She had never met Peggy in person, and doubted she ever would. But, Steve still had the option of seeing her, again.

"I should probably get going," Alex sighed after realizing how late it was.

Time in their world worked similarly to time on Berk. She'd promised Hiccup that she would be back in time for an evening flight before they went to sleep. Sunset flights were probably her favorite time of the day, because it gave her the chance to think of everything that happened.

"Thanks for coming with me," Steve nodded his thanks as they made their way back to the apartments. He planned on visiting Peggy, after seeing that video. She could see the faint light in his eyes that told her everything she needed to know. "It helps, having company."

"I know the feeling," she replied with a smile of her own. "You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he reassured her with a nod.

Alex couldn't hide the frown that followed as she slipped into her apartment. She hoped that he was right. Usually, when something went wrong, she was either dragged into it along with the others, or the first to hear about it.

* * *

 **AN: Yay for new chapters! And, onto a short explanation: So, I realize that in the movies, Steve had no idea Hydra was back, and didn't put that into play until now. I may or may not be running some edits here and there to tweak around with that lack of knowledge. Hopefully, not to the extent of ruining the movie. We'll see what happens. I also ended up getting the Interstellar soundtrack. Kind of random, but, music is the main reason behind how my writing goes :P Interstellar has beautiful music to it, and now I need to see the movie. Onto review replies!**

 **Sil - Yeah, things are happening a bit too fast for their liking. Unfortunately, it's only going to get worse before it gets better. But, she does have support from Cap, and the rest of the team. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, too :)**

 **Scout107 - Hehe, I actually do have a series of one-shots in mind to where Alex introduces Hiccup and the gang to modern technology. Obviously, it won't tie in directly with the story, but, I feel the need to write it. And yep, she's finally grown a backbone towards her mom. Let's just hope that doesn't backfire on her, or the others ;)**

 **MMM - You'll have to keep reading to find out :) I don't plan on giving away spoilers.**


	4. SHIELD Compromised

**Chapter Four**

It was strangely peaceful, on Berk. Alex couldn't hide the faint smile that followed as she leaned against Snowfire, thinking of everything that had happened, earlier. She hadn't told Hiccup about Project Insight or what could happen because of it. Knowing that Fury trusted her enough to share that kind of information didn't get treated lightly. She knew that she could just as easily take advantage of it and tell the world, but, she didn't plan on doing so.

' _This 'Project Insight' seems like a bad idea, to me_ ,' Snowfire mused thoughtfully, resting her snout on Alex's shoulder gently. ' _I do not like it_.'

"You and me both, Snow," Alex sighed in agreement. She hadn't been able to get much sleep after finding out about Project Insight, and had at least told Snowfire about it, "What worries me is what will happen if it falls in the wrong hands. Fury claims that won't happen, but, you never know."

' _Humans are violent creatures, and will continue to enact such violence for their own benefit_ ,' Snowfire sniffed. ' _At least we understand when a time to end such violence is necessary_.'

Alex was too tired and worried to argue with her logic. She knew that Snowfire made a point, in a strange way. Humans were naturally violent creatures. But, dragons weren't much better when it came to protecting their territories. Of course, she didn't bother saying that out loud.

"I thought I might find you two here." Alex glanced up in surprise at the familiar sound of Hiccup's voice. Toothless hovered just above them, warbling a greeting as he landed beside Snowfire. They had been sitting on a sea stack overlooking the island before they arrived. Alex spent most of her time here, when she needed to think. "My mom mentioned that you were here, earlier."

"Sorry, I just needed some time to think," she admitted, suddenly feeling sheepish.

Hiccup rose an eyebrow before deciding to sit down beside her. She couldn't help but lean into his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her in close.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked carefully.

She knew that she should have talked about her worries to someone other than Snowfire. Steve had made his own opinion on Project Insight perfectly clear when he spoke with Fury. She, on the other hand, knew her opinion wouldn't count for much.

"I can't really say out loud what we saw when Steve talked with Fury," she replied, glancing at Hiccup uneasily as she caught the look he was giving her, "It's 'top secret government work'," she added with air quotes.

' _To which I say, they are hiding something_ ,' Snowfire rolled her eyes.

"So, in other words, it's something that we can't know about," Hiccup sighed in exasperation.

He really hated all of these secrets and lies that SHIELD sprang up on everyone. It was one of the many reasons Alex had been so reluctant to join in the first place. She knew she was taking a huge risk in continuing her work with SHIELD, especially with Project Insight.

"Look, I hate these secrets as much as you do, but, it's necessary to protect the public," she muttered, the bitterness in her voice enough to catch Hiccup by surprise. She felt him squeeze her shoulder gently, and she let out another sigh, "I'm beginning to regret signing up for this. If I'd known that this was what I was signing up for, I wouldn't have agreed to it."

Hiccup nodded in understanding. Of all the people who knew her well, he knew her the best. When she was worried, he knew something was wrong. He didn't want to say anything that would make things worse, though. Just being able to relax a little helped make things less awkward and tense.

"Would you be willing to give it up, and stay here on Berk for good?" he asked curiously.

That was enough for Alex to chew the bottom of her lip thoughtfully. She hadn't thought of what she would do once they were officially married. Then again, she still couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that they _were_ getting married.

"I don't know," she murmured, "I mean, I've thought about it so many times, but, the thought of giving up my world seems a bit…" She couldn't bring herself to finish as Hiccup looked at her thoughtfully.

"Out of reach?" he guessed for her.

She nodded, and suddenly felt guilty for thinking that way. Hiccup had provided her with so much more than just a lasting relationship. The people of Berk had welcomed her with open arms, and, she could never thank them enough for everything they did for her.

They sat there in comfortable silence once Hiccup decided to drop the subject. Alex did want nothing more than to spend the rest of her life with Hiccup. But, he was right to also bring up the fact that it would mean giving up everything she'd grown up with.

 _Berk feels more like home than my own world does_ , she reminded herself.

"You know, there is someone I thought would be cool for you to meet," she suddenly suggested, knowing that Steve had planned on visiting the VA hospital to meet with Sam the next morning.

Hiccup threw her an apprehensive look when he tried guessing what she meant by that. Sam worked with people who'd suffered from post-traumatic stress. Having served in the army himself, she couldn't imagine what that must have been like to return home after months away from everything he was familiar with.

…

"—thing is, I think it's getting worse. A cop pulled me over last week, he thought I was drunk. I swerved to miss a plastic bag. I thought it was an IED," a woman was speaking up as the three of them arrived near the tale-end of a seminar.

Hiccup stood beside Alex, looking rather meek at the thought of being in an unfamiliar place. He'd never been at a VA office before, and was taking everything in at once. Steve hadn't bothered questioning why they were together, after guessing the reasons behind Hiccup's arrival.

"Some stuff you leave there, other stuff you bring back," Sam explained. He stood in the front of the room, where a group of people were sitting together after having talked about their experiences over the past week, "It's our job to figure out how to carry it. Is it gonna be in a big suitcase or in a little man-purse? It's up to you."

The group began to part ways with a few people sticking around to talk. Alex stood beside Hiccup as they exchanged knowing looks. He'd left Valka in charge of Berk while he was gone; the island was in good hands as long as she had Gobber and Spitelout working with her.

A few minutes later and the three of them awkwardly reached Sam, who only rose an eyebrow in surprise upon seeing the three of them.

"Look who it is, the running man," he joked before looking between Alex and Hiccup, "Along with his friends."

"Sorry for the random intrusion," Alex apologized, glancing at Hiccup as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "He's not from around here."

"I figured as much," he replied with a smirk.

"Caught the last few minutes. It's pretty intense," Steve said after catching their little exchange.

"Yeah, brother, we all got the same problems. Guilt, regret," Sam replied.

"You lose someone?" Steve asked.

"My wingman, Riley," he explained. Alex found herself frowning. She knew that it couldn't be easy, to go through something like that. Steve talked about Bucky often, but, there was always a hint of regret or guilt in his voice when he talked about him, "Fly in the night mission. A standard PJ rescue op, nothing we hadn't done a thousand times before, till RPG knock Riley's dumb ass out of the sky." Sam fell quiet for a few seconds, as if recalling the awful memory of finding out, "Nothing I could do. It's like I was up there just to watch."

"I'm sorry," Steve said, looking at him thoughtfully.

"After that, I had really hard time finding a reason for being over there, you know," he shrugged.

"But, you're happy, now, back in the world?" Steve asked.

Alex rose an eyebrow in surprise at Steve's question, before catching the look Hiccup was giving her. He knew what Steve meant by that question, and suddenly wondered if Steve referred to their line of work.

"Hey, the number of people giving me orders is down to about zero," Sam replied, "So, hell, yeah. You thinking about getting out?"

"No," Steve replied before glancing at Alex and Hiccup warily. "I don't know." He paused, and Alex knew at that moment he had been considering his options. She knew he joined SHIELD because Peggy was one of the founders. He wanted to continue his work as Captain America, but so far, his career had been pretty crappy with the work Fury's been giving him, "To be honest, I don't know what I would do with myself if I did," he admitted.

"Ultimate fighting?" Sam suggested, earning a smirk from Alex while Hiccup just frowned in confusion. "It's just a great idea off the top of my head. But seriously, you could do whatever you want to do. What makes you happy?"

"I don't know," Steve shrugged.

"So, you aren't from around here?" Sam asked, looking between Hiccup and Alex.

"It's kind of a long story," Hiccup replied with a shrug.

Sam nodded in understanding, eyeing him thoughtfully after noticing his metal leg-brace for the first time.

"You're the fiancé, aren't you?" Sam's smirk almost widened as he put two and two together.

"Yeah," Hiccup replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as he glanced at Alex.

She couldn't hide the smile that followed. She wasn't sure how everyone would react to seeing Hiccup for the first time, or his leg brace for that matter. Technology had gotten so much better over the last few years when it came to prosthetics, so their confusion was understandable.

"I can see why you like him," Sam added with a shake of his head.

Her grin only widened as she noticed the heat rising to Hiccup's cheeks. She didn't care if people thought they were too young to get married. Now that she saw it as a possibility, she wouldn't want things any different.

…

They returned later to her apartment that evening after Steve offered some dinner. After spending the afternoon together, Alex suspected Hiccup was more than ready to head back to Berk and check on the others. Seeing the look Toothless had given them when they left only reminded her that they shouldn't be gone for too long. Even Snowfire was never fond of the fact that she had joined the STRIKE team and taken on more work than needed.

"Your place is nice looking," Hiccup remarked when they arrived in her room to drop some things off.

Alex rose an eyebrow as she wondered if he was just trying to be polite. Boxes were still stacked in piles in one corner of the living space/kitchen combination. Some of them had been unpacked, but, most of them remained the same.

"It isn't much, but, it's better than nothing," she shrugged after dropping her coat off on the chair.

Hiccup didn't say anything to that as they headed out and closed the door behind them. Alex was about to say something else when she overheard a conversation between Steve and a woman she had seen years ago, when she and Hiccup first met.

"If you want, you're welcome to use my machine. Might be cheaper than the one in the basement," Steve said as the woman known as agent Sharon Carter stood in front of him, with an empty laundry basket.

"Oh, yeah? What's it cost?" Sharon asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"A cup of coffee?" Steve suggested.

"Thank you, but um… I already have a load in downstairs, and, uh… you really don't want my scrubs in your machine," Sharon replied after looking around sheepishly. She'd stopped after spotting Alex and Hiccup, recognizing them instantly. Alex had seen Sharon around a few times, though, they never shared much more than a few words here and there. "I'm just finished orientation in the infectious diseases ward, so…"

"Ah, well, I'll keep my distance," Steve threw his hands up, looking rather meek after noticing Alex and Hiccup himself.

"Well, hopefully not too far," she replied with a charming smile. "Oh, and I think you left your stereo on," she added after reaching her apartment.

For a moment, Alex rose an eyebrow in confusion when she realized Steve hadn't had it on when she stopped by his place earlier that morning.

"Oh, right. Thank you," Steve nodded his thanks, eyebrows furrowing with confusion as he looked at his door.

Sharon only smiled in response before heading inside.

"You know, she is pretty cute," Alex remarked after the awkward silence that followed. Steve threw her an incredulous look that said it all. "I'm just saying, it's hard to believe you're still single, all things considered."

She couldn't hide the cheeky grin that followed, especially as Hiccup only rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. By now, he'd gotten used to seeing her make any situation about as awkward as it could get. This was no different.

"I'd really rather not get involved with whatever this is," he muttered, ignoring the smirk she threw him.

Steve just tried to ignore their comments as he arrived in his apartment, opening the door carefully. Alex couldn't blame him for being so wary – if what Sharon had said was true, she didn't want to take any chances with intruders.

Awkward silence filled the room as Steve looked around warily, noticing that the music was indeed playing like Sharon had said. Alex glanced at Hiccup warily as she caught him looking around as well. He seemed to sense that something was wrong, and didn't want to get in Steve's way.

Her shoulders immediately tensed when she caught sight of someone familiar lurching in the chair nearby. Director Fury wasn't normally one to barge in unless it was an emergency. Even when she was still living with her mom, he'd never stopped by himself. It was usually in the form of the Avengers or Coulson.

"I don't remember giving you a key," Steve remarked after dropping his guard for a moment.

Alex hadn't. She exchanged a worried look with Hiccup, knowing that whenever Fury was involved, it couldn't be anything good.

"You really think I'd need one?" he retorted, looking between the three of them warily, "My wife kicked me out."

That was enough for Alex to raise an eyebrow. She knew for a fact that Fury wasn't married, and she noticed Steve's look of confusion that followed.

"Didn't know you were married."

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me."

Fury's jab sent a shiver of unease through Alex. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she never did fully trust him. He seemed to sense that as he struggled to sit up. She felt Hiccup's hand on her shoulder, and she relaxed only just a little.

"I know, Nick," Steve began, stepping out from behind the wall, "That's the problem."

He turned on the light. Both Alex and Hiccup watched on in horror when they noticed the blood for the first time. She'd known things were bad, but, she didn't realize just how bad it was. Fury put a finger to his mouth and quickly moved to shut off the light before typing on his phone.

' **Ears and eyes everywhere**.'

"That's not totally creepy," Hiccup muttered under his breath. Alex threw him a warning look, knowing that this was only going to get worse.

"I'm sorry to have to do this, but, I don't have a place to crash," Fury went on after leaning forward, hoisting himself up with one arm. He typed out another message on his phone.

' **SHIELD compromised**.'

Alex's eyes went wide with realization. She had always known there was something fishy with Hydra's sudden knowledge on capturing dragons when SHIELD discovered their existence on Berk. It made her wonder if this was what Fury meant by SHIELD being compromised.

"Who else knows about your wife?" Steve asked knowingly.

' **Just the four of us**.' He typed on his phone, glancing at Hiccup warily.

The good thing about Hiccup was, he had been good at keeping secrets. The truth of that matter still rang true to this day.

"Just… my friends," Fury replied.

"Is that what we are?" Alex asked defensively.

She hadn't left his piercing gaze as Fury looked at her calmly, despite the obvious pain he was in.

"Well, that's up to you," Fury told her, holding his side up a little.

Hiccup jumped when three shots suddenly rang out. Fury let out a cry as two more shots followed, shattering the window nearby. Alex felt her heart lurch with shock as Steve moved forward to catch Fury before he could collapse to the floor. Alex glanced up in time to see someone standing just a couple of buildings from theirs.

The shooter was hiding in a well-hidden position, but she could see the silver glint of an arm in the faint lighting.

"Don't… trust… anyone," Fury choked out after catching Steve's arm, placing something in his hand.

Both Alex and Hiccup were still in a state of shock when the sound of banging on the door made them both jump in surprise.

"Captain Rogers?" Alex exchanged an anxious look with Hiccup. He already knew what was on her mind, and threw her a warning look. She wanted nothing more than to go after the shooter and make him pay for what he'd done. "Captain, I'm Agent 13 of SHIELD's Special Service," the woman known as Sharon Carter explained as she caught Steve's look of confusion and panic.

"Kate?" he asked carefully.

"She was assigned to protect you," Alex shook her head, ignoring the look Sharon gave her. "Believe it or not, I do pay more attention to what's going on than people realize."

"On who's orders?" Steve demanded.

"His," Sharon replied after seeing Fury on the floor for the first time. She reached his side immediately and pulled out a device, "Foxtrot is down, he's unresponsive. I need EMTs," she called through the device.

"Do you have a twenty on the shooter?" came the response of a SHIELD agent.

"Tell them I'm in pursuit," Steve replied before glancing warily at Alex.

"Alex, wait—" Hiccup didn't get a chance to finish his warning as she changed into the form of a Night Fury, ignoring the space around her as she chased after Steve through the window, "—Go after them," she heard him groan in annoyance.

She almost smirked in response as she followed Steve carefully, gliding from building to building until they reached the shooter in question. This asshole shot Fury, and she wasn't going to let him get away with it.

She had just reached the roof where Steve stood on when his shield was suddenly thrown back at him. The person throwing the shield only stopped for a second when he spotted her for the first time. He had to a double-take upon seeing her for the first time. A plasma blast was already forming in the back of her throat when Steve stopped her; the shooter had used their distraction as a chance to escape.

"We're no better than him if we stoop down to his level," Steve told her after she glanced at him in confusion.

Alex rolled her eyes in response, realizing as much as she hated to admit it, that he was right. Things had just gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds. They were no closer to finding out what Fury had meant by SHIELD being compromised, and Alex suspected that it had everything to do with Hydra.

* * *

 **AN: And, there's the next chapter! I hope I'm doing this movie justice... I absolutely loved it; along with any other Marvel movie, obviously ;)**

 **Scout017 - Hm... that's a good question. I'm not sure how she's going to react. Though, Hydra crashing their wedding would make for an interesting plot-twist. I don't think they'd stand a chance, though, against the Berkians or the dragons :P Sorry about your Username... I'm not sure why I keep switching the numbers around. My brain keeps telling me to make it 107 D: As for making your day, I'm glad I was able to :)**


	5. Enemies Among Us

**Chapter Five**

Awkward silence filled the helicopter that was on its way to the emergency medical center. Hiccup had returned to Berk after the chaos that followed. Alex knew that he wasn't happy with the idea of her going at this alone, but, he also knew that getting involved would mean the people of her world discovering his. If SHIELD was compromised like Fury had claimed, there was no telling what files could be leaked, including files revolving around Berk and the dragons.

"He really does care about you," Steve cut through the silence that was beginning to overwhelm Alex.

She'd been sitting on a bench for most of the time before they finally arrived at the hospital. She'd sent a warning message to Natasha, knowing the Black Widow would want to know what had happened to Fury herself. The redhead was already making her way down the hall towards them in a mad rush, pushing past other doctors and nurses along the way.

"I'm not sure what I did to deserve it," she murmured thoughtfully. "All I ever seem to do is make things worse, not only for the people of Berk, but for this world as well."

"Alex, no one could have predicted anything like this would happen," Steve reminded her, "You can't keep blaming yourself for something you had no control over."

A lump formed in the back of Alex's throat as she wondered if Steve was right. She couldn't shake off the worry that clouded her mind. The EMT was running several tests to make sure Fury didn't die on them, but, nothing seemed to be working. Natasha had finally reached them, and Alex glanced in her direction warily.

"Is he gonna make it?" she asked.

"I don't know," Steve replied.

"Tell me about the shooter."

"He's fast and strong. He had a metal arm," Steve replied.

Alex hadn't missed the fact that Natasha's face paled. She may have been a master at hiding her emotions, but, Natasha let it slip every now and then. This was one of those moments, and, it terrified her to see Natasha looking so worried.

"Ballistics?"

"Three slugs. No rifling and completely untraceable," Maria Hill replied as she came up to join them.

"Soviet made?"

Looking at Natasha with confusion and concern, Maria answered with a 'yes'. A shiver of unease swept through Alex as she wondered where Natasha was getting at with this. She knew something the others didn't. Such as who the shooter was.

It was like watching time slow down as the doctors worked furiously in saving Fury. Alex chewed the bottom of her lip as she caught Natasha whispering something under her breath. She cared about Fury, and it became obvious that she had looked up to him as more than just her boss. Natasha kept whispering for Fury not to do this to her. Alex may not have known much about their relationship, but, she did know that Fury had given Natasha a second chance when Clint didn't fire the killing shot he was meant to.

Alex had to look down at the floor when the lines went flat. She knew that sound well enough to understand that there was no turning back. Fury was gone. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it, the director of SHIELD had lost his battle.

She took a seat on a bench and buried her face into her hands.

Losing Stoick had been difficult enough. She had endured the trials of that battle against Drago Bludvist, and the people of Berk had slowly begun to recover from it. This was no different. Alex couldn't shake off the sense of dread that threatened to overwhelm her in that moment.

"It's not going to get any better, is it?" she whispered when Steve joined her moments later, taking a seat beside her.

"I can't answer that, honestly," he admitted, giving her a knowing look.

She refused to make eye contact as she looked at the wall in front of her.

"I always thought he was invincible… like Stoick," she murmured, feeling her heart sink even lower at the thought and realization that she had lost someone else.

She may not have been close to Fury, but, she did care about him. Steve seemed to sense that, and he looked at her thoughtfully.

"We don't have control over what happens to others," he reminded her, "Sometimes, fate happens for a reason."

Alex nodded in agreement, knowing that he was right.

…

Her arms were crossed as she looked down at the stretcher while Steve and Natasha stood near Fury's body. She was doing her best to maintain a straight face. Seeing Natasha this way wasn't helping matters. Alex knew that it would take time for everyone to recover from the shock of losing someone who had such an impact on their lives. She knew that she wouldn't have gotten as far in life as she had if it wasn't for Fury's assistance.

Agent Hill walked up to them, expression grim when she saw the look flashing across Alex's eyes. Even if they didn't know each other very well, Alex had always respected Hill for everything she did. This wasn't easy for anyone.

"We need to take him in," she whispered, glancing at both Steve and Alex warily.

Steve gave a faint nod before approaching Natasha carefully.

Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, he caught her attention, "Natasha."

For a moment, Natasha didn't respond. Her expression was impossible to read. Alex watched warily as Natasha gently placed a hand on Fury's forehead, then turned around and walked out of the room. Steve looked in her direction and trailed after her. Alex couldn't hide the frown that followed when she looked back at Hill.

The older woman gave her a faint nod of encouragement, and Alex chose that moment to trail after them. She didn't want to be around when they removed the body. Much like with Stoick's funeral, she hated being around when the body was still in view. It reminded her too much of what they had lost.

"Why was Fury in your room?" Natasha asked the moment she and Steve were alone.

"Captain, they want you and Hendrickson back in SHIELD," Rumlow said when he approached them. Alex rose an eyebrow at the mention of her name. She could only imagine what that meant. Being asked to join Steve in a meeting revolved with SHIELD could only lead to trouble.

"Yeah, give me a second," Steve told them, not looking the least bit happy at being called out.

"They need you both, now," Rumlow insisted.

Alex nearly rolled her eyes at his insistence.

"Okay," Steve muttered under his breath.

"You're a terrible liar," Natasha snapped, narrowing her eyes thoughtfully as she turned to leave.

"Well, she's not lying," Alex said under her own breath, crossing her arms once more when Steve threw her an incredulous look.

She was ready to say something else when a SHIELD agent along with several others joined them.

She only glared at Rumlow as he and the other SHIELD agents surrounded them. Steve paused for only a moment as Rumlow gave the order for the STRIKE team to move out. Alex caught the look he was giving the vending machine, having already guessed what he was planning as he held the flash drive in one hand.

"Don't say a word," he mouthed to her after sticking the flash drive into the open vending machine.

She gave a nod to show that she understood his message loud and clear.

…

"For whatever it's worth, you did your best."

Alex froze at the sound of a voice echoing through an office they were approaching. She had only stepped foot in Alexander Pierce's office once or twice when Fury needed paperwork filled out. The main honcho of SHIELD had always intimidated her, and now, it only added to her worry.

"Thank you, sir." She recognized the sound of Agent Carter's voice. Sharon must have been asked to report as well. Alex wondered if Pierce was questioning everyone who had witnessed Fury's death, and shooting. The tension that filled the room when Sharon stepped outside the office and reached them was almost overwhelming. "Captain Rogers," she greeted Steve with a stiff coldness, reminding Alex too much that Steve hadn't realized Sharon was working for SHIELD.

"Neighbor," Steve replied with equal curtness.

"Ah, Captain. I'm Alexander Pierce," Pierce greeted Steve as they arrived at his office. He glanced at Alex and gave her a nod as she kept her distance, "Miss Hendrickson; always a joy seeing you, here."

"Sir, it's an honor," Steve said when Alex looked down at the floor.

"The honor is mine, Captain. My father served in the 101st. Come on in." Unease swept through Alex as Pierce stood up. She noticed with a start that there was some activity going on down below the windows that overlooked the Treskellion main entrance, "You'll have to forgive me, Miss Hendrickson. I know that you aren't exactly as involved with SHIELD as Nick would have liked. Some of the higher ups just aren't fond with the idea of working around dragons, or outsiders."

Her brows furrowed together. She had expected such activity from people who didn't know dragons existed. Seeing their reactions now only told her that the world was not ready to hear about Berk and the dragons that called Hiccup's world home.

"Somehow, that doesn't surprise me," she muttered warily.

Pierce finally reached for a picture sitting on his desk behind him. Alex had noticed the picture as well, recognizing the image of Fury standing next to Pierce. She had known that they were once close friends, but, that was about as much as she knew about them.

"That photo was taken five years after Nick and I met. When I was at State Department in Bogota. ELN rebels took the embassy, and security got me out, but the rebels took hostages. Nick was deputy chief for the SHIELD station there. And he comes to me with a plan. He wants to storm the building through the sewers. I said, "No, we'll negotiate." Turned out the ELN didn't negotiate, so they put out a kill order. They stormed the basement, and what did they find? They find it empty. Nick had ignored my direct order and carried out an unauthorized military operation on foreign soil. He saved the lives of a dozen political officers, including my daughter."

Pierce threw Alex a knowing look as she felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment. She had used the last name 'Pierce' to get herself and Hiccup out of the facility he was held in when they first met. Of course, word of that incident would slip out and reach Pierce.

"So, you gave him a promotion," Steve concluded when he sat down.

Alex hadn't, yet. She stood not far from the exit, knowing that if worse came to worse, she could always shift into a Night Fury and escape through the window. Steve might not be so lucky, though.

"I've never had any cause to regret it," Pierce replied. He paused for a moment as Alex looked down, unsure of why she felt so uneasy. "Captain, why was Nick in your apartment last night?" he asked.

"I don't know."

Steve glanced at Alex warily. She knew that Fury had been there to warn him of the fact that SHIELD was compromised. Knowing that much, she kept her mouth shut and decided to let Steve do the talking.

"Did you know that it was bugged?" Pierce asked, looking between Steve and Alex.

She had already suspected Fury would do such a thing to her own apartment. Luckily, he was unable to do something like that on Berk. That was why she shared a bed with Hiccup only on Berk, knowing full-well that Fury would want to keep an eye on their every move.

"I did, because Nick told me," Steve replied.

"Did he tell you he was the one who bugged it?"

Once again, Alex chewed the bottom of her lip when she thought of how secretive Fury was. She wasn't surprised that he himself had bugged their apartments. Something told her that he did it more for their own protection than anything else.

"I want you two to see something," Pierce added as he turned towards the screen behind him.

Alex watched with narrowed eyes as the screen went on, revealing a video feed of Batroc being held in some kind of room. A shiver ran through her as she recalled the time when she, Hiccup and the others were captured and treated like prisoners.

"Is this live?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, they picked him up last night in a not-so-safe house in Algiers," Pierce told him.

"Are you saying he's a suspect? Assassination isn't Batroc's line," Steve pointed out.

"No, it's more complicated than that. Batroc was hired anonymously to attack the Lemurian Star and he was contacted by e-mail and paid by wire transfer. And then the money was run through seventeen fictitious accounts, the last one going to a holding company that was registered to a Jacob Veech."

He held up a file in one hand, eyeing both Steve and Alex carefully.

"Am I supposed to know who that is?" Steve asked after taking the file curiously.

"Not likely. Veech died six years ago. His last address was 14-35 Elmhurst Drive. When I first met Nick his mother lived at 14-37," Pierce informed him, earning a look of surprise from Alex.

"Are you saying Fury hired the pirates? Why?" Steve asked with equal surprise.

"Well the prevailing theory was that the hijacking was a cover for the acquisition and sale of classified intelligence. The sale went sour and that led to Nick's death."

Alex narrowed her eyes at that. Something told her that wasn't something Fury would do. He was smart enough and capable enough to know his limits. He would never hire someone to hijack a SHIELD ship, let alone do it knowing the sale would go sour.

"If you really knew Nick, you would know that's not true," Steve voiced her thoughts.

"Why do you think we're talking?" Pierce asked, walking over to a nearby window. Alex was tempted to say something in her defense, knowing that she was in no position to speak out, "See, I took a seat on the Council not because I wanted to but because Nick asked me to, because we were both realists. We knew that despite all the diplomacy and the handshaking and the rhetoric, that to build a really better world sometimes means having to tear the old one down. And that makes enemies. Those people that call you dirty because you got the guts to stick your hands in the mud and try to build something better. And the idea that those people could be happy today, makes me really, really angry."

Anger swelled within Alex as she realized what Pierce was insinuating. He clearly believed that they were keeping something from them. While that was entirely true, Fury had trusted them enough to share the information that he'd gathered with them before he was murdered in cold blood.

"Captain, you, Miss Hendrickson and her friend were the last ones to see Nick alive," he snapped, earning a death glare from Alex. The last thing she wanted was for him to drag Hiccup or anyone from Berk into this mess, "I don't think that's an accident, and I don't think you do either. So I'm gonna ask again, why was he there?"

"He told me not to trust anyone," Steve told him.

"Which is something that I firmly believe in," Alex muttered under her breath, earning a look from Steve.

"I wonder if that included him," Pierce said, eyes darkening as he looked at Alex pointedly.

Her fists clenched with annoyance as she looked back defiantly. Of course, she hadn't fully trusted Fury. That had come from Snowfire, though. That, and the way SHIELD had treated both dragons and Riders.

"I'm sorry. Those were his last words," Steve replied in a firm tone, "Excuse me."

"Somebody murdered my friend and I'm gonna find out why," Pierce started as they both turned to leave. "Anyone gets in my way, they're gonna regret it. Anyone."

A shiver ran through Alex when she heard those final words from Pierce. Something told her that Pierce had every intention of sticking true to his word.

"Understood," Steve said over his shoulder.

"I need to talk with Hiccup, figure out what's going on, here," Alex shook her head once they reached the elevator.

Steve looked at her cautiously when he knew what she meant by that.

"You don't think Pierce would drag Berk into all of this?" he asked, and Alex found herself looking down at the floor as he called for operations control.

"I don't trust Pierce any further than I could throw him in the form of a human," she retorted, crossing her arms once more, "Something fishy is happening, and I don't like it, one bit."

The tension that followed was almost impossible to deal with when Rumlow chose that moment to step inside before the doors slid close. Alex stood beside Steve, suddenly wishing that a hole would open up and swallow her as her mind began to race with questions regarding Pierce's accusations towards Fury.

She tried to ignore Rumlow and the other agents who were shuffling inside as the elevator reached one floor after the other. It wasn't until the elevator had reached another destination that she knew what was happening. Steve had seen it coming, himself, and held himself high, despite the obvious tension.

"Before we get started," Steve began as he gripped his shield tighter, "Does anyone want to get out?"

Silence followed.

"Suit yourself," Alex whispered, ducking just as Rumlow took a swing at Steve.

She used the moment of distraction as a chance to throw a fireball at an agent who was dangerously close for comfort. Another agent had tried grabbing her by the waist, but Alex used all of her weight to hold him down. She managed to gain enough momentum to jab him in the ribs, sending him flying into another agent towards the window. She dropped down just in time to feel another agent punch her across the face. Pain bolted through her, and it took everything she had not to change at that moment. When blinded by anger and pain, she lost control. Alex had learned through Bruce's training methods to control her emotions, but in times like this, that became a little challenging.

Her heart was racing with dread when she noticed Steve had an arm pinned to the wall with a magnet thrown by Rumlow. To her disbelief, he made it look easy as he took on three men with one arm and his legs. She nearly rolled her eyes at the sight, knowing Steve could easily handle himself in any situation he was put in.

She, on the other hand, could only cause so much damage without shifting into a Night Fury. Scales were already running along her arms and legs as she struggled to maintain control. Steve managed to knock Rumlow over just as he caught Alex before she could change.

"Whoa, big guy. I just want you to know, Cap, this ain't personal," Rumlow began, holding his hands up in self-defense with a knife in one hand.

"Really?" Alex asked, a growl forming in the back of her throat as she struggled to keep herself from changing, "Because it's beginning to feel personal."

She managed to knock him out with a blow across the face, just as Steve tried prying the elevator doors open. Alex's eyes widened in alarm when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Even if they were able to climb out of the elevator, they would still have these assholes to deal with.

"Since when did we become enemies of SHIELD?" she wondered out loud, earning a look from Steve as he pulled the doors shut.

"Can you change and fly out of here?" he asked.

"Easily… wait, why?" She rose an eyebrow in surprise as Steve reached for his shield and gave her a faint nod.

"Well, we've got agents who are about to rush us on one side, and a drop that could kill us from this height," he explained. "It's either face those agents, or crash through the windows."

Alex's mind raced with the possibilities before she decided to take the latter. She knew that she could crash through the windows without hurting herself. Steve had his shield for protection, so, the two of them did just that.

The moment she shifted into a Night Fury was when she felt a rush of air run between her scales and wings. Steve managed to catch on before she careened to the right and avoided crashing into the ground. She didn't stop until he hopped off and grabbed his motorcycle, doing her best to avoid being shot down by the quinjet. Once she saw that Steve had grabbed his motorcycle, she hovered beside him and shifted back, clinging onto him for dear life.

"Why the hell were SHIELD agents attacking us?" she shouted over the roar of the engine as they drove on.

"Something tells me whatever's on that flash drive will tell us," Steve replied.

A shiver ran through Alex at the thought. She could only hope the flash drive was still there, otherwise, they had nothing to defend themselves against whatever accusations Pierce made on them.

* * *

 **AN: Sorry for the long delay. I've been working on chapters, and I've had a slight case of writer's block... Hopefully, I can get back into the groove, and give the movie itself justice while adding in a few changes. I also get to see Matthew West in concert this weekend... I'm super excited about it, especially since my Username is based off of a song of his :D Thanks Sil for being my only reviewer!**

 **Sil - Yep; it is rather unoriginal, but, brilliant. Hydra at their worst... And, yeah, the modern world does always seem to throw curve balls at poor Hiccup; not to worry, the wedding will hopefully not be postponed for too much longer ;) And, thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying it, so far :)**


	6. Blast From the Past

**Chapter Six**

"What do you mean SHIELD's been compromised? I thought the whole point of them asking you to join was to keep that from happening?" Astrid asked in disbelief after Alex informed them of what had happened.

She'd made a beeline for the portal while Steve went to look for the flash drive he'd hidden in the hospital. They'd made arrangements to meet on Berk, after that. Hopefully, he would get back soon enough. She wasn't sure how long it would take to stop by the hospital, collect the flash drive and meet at their rendezvous point. The only thing she did know was that the flash drive held important information they needed to find out why Director Fury had been killed, and why they two were currently on SHIELD's hit list.

"It was never about making sure that didn't happen," Hiccup already guessed, looking at Alex worriedly.

"No, it wasn't," she replied, keeping her tone curt as she looked between Hiccup and Astrid. The other Riders had gone off on patrol around the island, something she was grateful for. Astrid and Hiccup were sensible enough to know when something was wrong, and clearly, something bad had happened, "Fury's gone. He was killed in Steve's apartment, and, I think Natasha knows who is behind the attack. If SHIELD was compromised, it could be disastrous for everyone."

Astrid crossed her arms and frowned at the thought. Even she hadn't liked the idea of Alex joining SHIELD when Fury managed to convince her. It had taken nearly four years for him to convince her otherwise, but even then, she had never fully trusted him.

' _I knew the humans of your world could not be trusted_ ,' Snowfire huffed, leaning down while Toothless let out a warble of concern. She looked pointedly at the latest injury that a STRIKE team member had given Alex as a parting gift on the elevator, ' _They should all suffer the consequences for what they have done_.'

A shiver ran through Alex as she brushed the injury with her hand. While it had begun to heal, she knew it would take time for what had happened to recover and sink in.

"Look, what happened back there only means that we have to figure out what's really going on," she sighed in frustration, "Fury was onto something. That was why he'd been shot and killed. Something tells me it's only going to get worse, if something isn't done about it."

Hiccup looked as if he was ready to say something else when all of them spotted familiar figures approaching. Alex stiffened in surprise as she noticed both Steve and Natasha were dressed in civilian clothes. The look of worry flashing across Steve's eyes told her everything she needed to know.

"We need to go," he said, looking at both Astrid and Hiccup.

Since they were gathered around the cove, they had a little more privacy from the rest of the villagers. Still, that didn't make Alex feel any easier about what was going on.

"Go where?" Astrid asked, glaring back defiantly.

Shield maiden or not, she knew better than to cross the line when it came to Natasha Romanoff. She'd seen what the redhead was like when pissed, and, it wasn't a pretty sight.

"On the run," Natasha replied, ignoring Astrid's piercing gaze, "There's more at stake than we realized."

Alex gave a nod of understanding when she understood the severity of the situation. She exchanged a look with Astrid and Hiccup. Since they weren't technically from their world, she didn't want to drag either of them into this. Though, she had a feeling trouble would find them wherever they went.

' _You should not be putting yourself in harm's ways_ ,' Snowfire growled, narrowing her eyes as she lowered her head. Alex couldn't hide the guilty smile that followed as she wrapped her arms gently around her slender yet muscular neck.

"I know," she whispered back, suddenly wishing they had more time together, "But, this is something that I have to do. You need to stay here, with Hiccup and Toothless. Keep them safe."

Snowfire only let out an indignant huff at that, clearly unhappy with the idea of Alex throwing herself out there. Instead of arguing, though, she merely came to accept that this was something she needed to do. She would be back, and, hopefully, everything would be back to normal, by then.

"Stay safe," Hiccup whispered when he joined her, wrapping his arms around her. "I love you, always."

"I love you too, always," she whispered back, closing her eyes for a brief moment when their lips met. She knew it wasn't easy, for either of them to be apart for so long. She and Snowfire had already reached the conclusion that to get things done in her world after moving, it was best that she stay on Berk. Yet, the idea of being apart from the world she had considered home more than her own world was beginning to sound less and less appealing. "I'll be back soon."

Hiccup gave a nod once they parted ways. Her eyes met his one last time before the portal was activated. She could only hope that she could keep her promise.

…

The three of them had arrived in a mall after Alex changed into civilian clothes. She knew that going undercover meant she couldn't tell her mother what had happened. The only thing she could hope for was that her mother and anyone else she was close to would be kept out of this. After grabbing the portal that Tony had made, she'd moved it to a hidden location where SHIELD wouldn't find it if they came knocking on their doors.

"First rule of going on the run is, don't run, walk," Natasha instructed them.

"Nat, this isn't the first time I've gone on the run," Alex reminded her, remembering the moments when she and Hiccup had been looking for the other Riders while trying to escape from SHIELD.

There was a time when she had thought of running away when her father was still around. But, she had also realized that running away would only put her mother's life in danger. So, she had stayed and endured whatever pain he inflicted upon her.

"This is different, though," Natasha pointed out.

"If I run in these shoes, they're gonna fall off," Steve muttered as he stumbled in the shoes that Natasha had picked out for him.

Alex tried not to smirk when she watched him, "Well, it was hard to judge your size," she said, earning a pointed look from Steve.

"The drive has a level six homing program, so as soon as we boot up SHIELD will know exactly where we are," Natasha explained when they arrived at an Apple store.

She recognized the Mac logos and had to keep a straight face as the employees began eyeing them suspiciously. The 'Genius' tecs that worked here were just that, tecs who had no clue what they were up to. Which was probably a good thing, when she thought about it.

"How much time do we have?" Steve asked.

Alex shifted closer so that she could get to work – after dealing with the disappearance of her father before meeting Hiccup and his friends, she had learned how to hack into secure databases. It was how she and the others were able to stay one step ahead of SHIELD for as long as they had.

"Uh…" Natasha started as Alex plugged in the flash drive, "Nine minutes from now."

Steve just looked between the two of them when he realized what Natasha had meant by that. SHIELD would be on their tails the second they plugged the flash drive in. They needed to work quickly before things got any worse.

"Looks like Fury was right about the ship," Alex began when she noticed that this was more difficult to hack into than she first expected, "Someone's definitely hiding something."

"This drive is protected by some sort of AI, it keeps rewriting itself to counter our commands," Natasha put in when she tried hacking into it herself.

"Can you override it?" Steve asked, looking between the two.

Natasha threw Alex a knowing look as she shrugged and let her take over, knowing this was something she could easily handle.

"The person who developed this is slightly smarter than me. Slightly," Natasha replied. "I'm gonna try running a tracer. This is a program that SHIELD developed to track hostile malware, so if we can't read the file, maybe we can find out where it came from," she put in after typing away a few commands.

This information would have gone completely over Steve's head if Tony hadn't explained how computer AIs worked. Even now, Alex could see his brows were furrowed in confusion. She almost smirked at the sight – something told her that he and Hiccup would be in the same boat when it came to figuring out modern technology. Though, Hiccup was clever enough to figure out how things worked, and had been learning before all of this madness.

"Can I help you guys with anything?"

All three of them looked up, with Steve's eyes widening slightly. Alex already had an idea in mind, though.

"Oh, no. My fiancé and maid of honor were just helping me with some honeymoon destinations," she explained, keeping a straight face as the employee just looked at them skeptically.

She hadn't missed the look Steve threw her, or the smirk Natasha was trying to hide as she tried wrapping her arms around Steve. Compared to him, she might as well have been the size of a Terrible Terror.

"Uh, right," Steve nodded in agreement, face flushing slightly when he realized too late what Alex had in mind, "We're getting married."

"Congratulations. Where do you guys thinking about going?" the employee asked.

Steve leaned forward, moving just enough that it was impossible for Alex to hold on any longer. His brows furrowed together once more when he saw the destination where the AI had come from. Alex rose an eyebrow when she too noticed where it originated from.

"New Jersey," Steve replied.

"Oh…" The employee only looked just a little confused. Alex had to admit, she found it hilarious seeing his reaction as he tried guessing why they would choose Jersey of all places. Though, she was beginning to feel uncomfortable when he inspected Steve over, as if something caught his attention. "I have the exact same glasses."

"Wow… you two are practically twins," Natasha said with a smirk.

"I wished," the employee scoffed before looking at them with another smile, "Uh… if you guys need anything, I've been Aaron," he put in after flashing his name tag.

"Thank you," both Alex and Steve said at the same time.

"You said nine minutes, come on," Steve added, looking at Natasha and Alex.

"Relax," Alex rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, "It takes time to hack into these."

Steve moved closer to the screen, eyeing it warily.

"Do you know it?" Natasha asked.

"I used to," he replied, voice dropping to a whisper as he pried out the flash drive. "Let's go."

The minute he'd grabbed the flash drive was when they left the store before anyone could get suspicious. Though, Alex didn't think they could look anymore suspicious than they already had at that moment. She tried ducking between Natasha and Steve to stay out of sight.

"So, I'm your maid of honor?" Natasha asked, giving Alex a pointed look.

"You might have to get in line with Astrid," she smirked, knowing that Astrid had jumped at the opportunity the moment it was handed to her. "Though, something tells me she'd enjoy the challenge of taking you on in hand-to-hand combat."

"Add it onto my list of things to do while on Berk," the redhead replied, catching Steve's expression as they reached the escalators.

"Would you two focus on the mission?" he snapped, already aggravated as it was without them distracting him enough, "We've got a standard tac-team. Two behind, to across, two coming straight at us. If they make us, I'll engage, you hit the south escalator to the metro."

"Shut up and put your arm around me, laugh at something I said," Natasha retorted, earning a look of confusion from Steve.

"What?"

"Just do it," Alex rolled her eyes knowingly.

Luckily, Steve did just that, laughing hysterically at nothing in particular. Alex merely ducked between them as she caught two agents looking in their direction. Judging from their uncomfortable expressions, this was exactly what Natasha had been hoping for. Unfortunately, two more SHIELD agents were heading in their direction on the opposite side of the escalator. Alex knew that if they were caught here in the mall, she couldn't exactly change into a Night Fury and make a quick escape. Besides, there was no leaving behind her teammates in a time like this.

"Kiss me," Natasha suddenly said.

"What?" Steve asked once again, looking thoroughly confused and uncomfortable with the idea.

"Public displays of affection make people very uncomfortable," Natasha explained, rolling her eyes in exasperation.

"Yes, they do," Steve retorted.

By now, Alex was smothering a fit of laughter when Natasha suddenly leaned forward and kissed him. The display certainly did drawl unwanted attention, but, no one moved to stop them. She had to hide herself between them as she spotted Rumlow and a few other STRIKE team agents watching uncomfortably.

"You still uncomfortable?" Natasha asked with a smirk of amusement.

"It's not exactly the word I would use," Steve muttered.

Still, that hadn't stopped his cheeks from turning a faint shade of red.

…

The sun was just beginning to set when they finally arrived at the location in question. After finally getting some decent sleep when Steve stole a truck, Alex had to wipe away the wariness from her eyes. She knew that their mission was far from over. Confusion set in when she found herself peering out the window, only to find themselves parked in what looked like an old army base.

"This is it?" Steve asked in surprise.

"The file came from these coordinates," Natasha replied once they climbed out of the truck.

"So did I." As they walked around the camp, Alex noticed with a start that it looked like it hadn't been used in years. Yet, she could see the old buildings where soldiers would have stayed and the fields where they would have trained, "This camp is where I was changed."

"Has it changed much?" Alex asked curiously, wondering what it must have been like for him to be from that time, and wake up now.

She couldn't imagine how challenging that must have been, for him. Steve was the kind of person who could adapt to any situation, much like Hiccup. While he could be a little too trusting at times, that trust could often pay off, in the end.

"A little," he said thoughtfully.

"This is a dead end," Natasha started as she looked around to get her bearings, "Zero heat signature, zero waves, not even radio. Whoever wrote the file must have used a router to throw people off."

"Something tells me there's more going on here than a router throwing people off," Alex murmured, following Steve's gaze as he looked at an older looking building.

"What is it?" Natasha asked when she too noticed what Steve was looking at.

"Army regulations forbid storing ammunition within five hundred yards from the barracks. This building is in the wrong place," he explained as he started walking towards the building in question.

It took a few seconds for them all to reach the building. When they did, Alex's breathing hitched as she saw the inside for the first time. It was a SHIELD office. Pictures hung on the wall, some of them recognizable, others not so much. She did recognize Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter. The two of them had founded SHIELD, along with the others lining the wall.

"This is SHIELD," Natasha breathed out.

"Maybe where it started," Steve added.

She hadn't missed the fact that Steve was looking at Peggy's picture longer than the others. Something about that picture made Peggy look that much stronger. Shaking her head at the thought, she tried brushing it away as she noticed something that looked out of place.

Steve had noticed it, as well, and the two of them walked over to the bookcases.

"If you're already working in a secret office…" he began as he started moving some of the books to the side. The bookcase had suddenly begun to move as he put the books on another shelf, "Why do you need to hide the elevator?"

A shiver swept through Alex when they saw an elevator hiding behind the bookcase. Natasha had already broken the code to get the elevator operating, and when they stepped inside, Alex began to try and concentrate on the task ahead of them. She was already involved this deep; there was no climbing out of this one.

"This can't be the data-point, this technology is ancient," Natasha stated, looking around in surprise as ancient looking computers stretched around the room.

Alex had seen pictures of all the old computers that had been lined around factory rooms. She remembered one place in particular that had used computers like this, Bethlehem Steel. An old looking monitor had been placed on a small desk in the middle of the room.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Natasha and Steve moved forward with Alex close behind. She couldn't help but stare at the computer warily as Natasha popped in the flash drive and typed in a code. Words appeared on the screen in big letters: "INITIATE SYSTEM?" As Natasha typed in 'yes', Alex already guessed where this was headed.

"Shall we play a game?" she asked, turning to Steve, "That's from a movie—"

"I know. I saw it," he cut her off, irritated enough as it was.

"Rogers, Steven. Born, 1918. Romanoff, Natalia Alianovna. Born, 1984, Hendrickson, Alexandria. Born 1994."

Once again, Alex couldn't stop the shiver from following as the automated voice spoke her name and the year of her birth.

"It's like some kind of recording," she muttered, leaning forward as she studied the screen cautiously.

"I am not a recording, Fräulein. I may not be the man I was when the Captain took me prisoner in 1945, but I am," the program snapped.

A picture of an older looking man appeared on the screen, and Alex had to restrain herself from punching the computer out of sheer instinct. Not for the first time, she was thankful she hadn't dragged Hiccup into any of this. She could already imagine he would be panicking if he saw this computer spring to life.

"Do you know this thing?" Natasha asked.

"Arnim Zola was a German scientist who worked for the Red Skull. He's been dead for years," Steve explained.

"First correction, I am Swiss. Second, look around you. I have never been more alive." Her fists clenched with annoyance at the way the system spoke with such confidence, "In 1972 I received a terminal diagnosis. Science could not save my body, my mind, however, that was worth saving on two hundred thousand feet of data banks. You are standing in my brain."

That was enough to creep Alex out. The last thing she wanted was to stand in anyone's mind, let alone that of a Hydra asshole. She'd already dealt with her father; this was something entirely different.

"How did you get here?" Steve demanded, glaring at the computer screen.

"Invited."

"It was Operation Paperclip after World War II. SHIELD recruited German scientists with strategic values," Natasha explained warily.

Alex couldn't help but wince at the mistake SHIELD made by bringing this thing in. She wondered if they had known what they were doing to themselves the moment they recruited this nutcase.

"They thought I could help their cause. I also helped my own."

"Hydra died with the Red Skull," Steve snapped.

Alex only shook her head, knowing that wasn't true. Her father had been trying to find a way into Hydra by creating the serum that had changed her life.

"Cut off one head, two more will take its place."

"Prove it," Steve snapped, losing patience.

"Accessing archive." Alex watched on with horror as a red face appeared on the screen, followed by the founders of SHIELD, "Hydra was founded on the belief that humanity could not be trusted with its own freedom. What we did not realize, was that if you try to take that freedom, they resist. The war taught us much." More images began to appear, pictures of people who were being killed because they didn't fit in with Hydra's ideals. Anger swept through Alex when she realized just how insane this really was, "Humanity needed to surrender its freedom willingly. After the war, SHIELD was founded and I was recruited. The new Hydra grew. A beautiful parasite inside SHIELD. For seventy years Hydra has been secretly feeding crisis, reaping war. And when history did not cooperate, history was changed."

"That's impossible," Natasha whispered. Alex squeezed her eyes shut as she thought of the reasons behind SHIELD wanting her to join them. She remembered how many dragons had been captured, and what had led to her own father's demise. She knew that it sounded impossible, but, something in her heart kept telling her that it had already happened, "SHIELD would have stopped you."

"Accidents happen."

An image of a newspaper flashed across the screen. Alex couldn't help but swallow the lump forming in her throat when she realized Hydra was responsible for Howard Stark's death, along with his wife. They'd been murdered, not killed. A shiver swept through her at the thought. She knew that Hydra was cruel and known for causing countless deaths, including her father's. Though he had been working for Hydra, none of that would have happened if he wasn't swayed into working for them.

"Hydra created a world so chaotic that humanity is finally ready to sacrifice its freedom to gain its security," Zola went on as flames began flickering at the palms of her hands, "Once the purification process is complete, Hydra's new world order will arise. We won, Captain. Your death amounts to the same as your life; a zero sum."

Steve reacted out of pure rage, punching a fist into one of the screens, shattering it to pieces. Zola, however, simply jumped to another monitor and acted as if nothing had happened.

"As I was saying…"

"What's on this drive?" Steve demanded when they all turned to the main screen.

"Project Insight requires insight. So, I wrote an algorithm."

"What kind of algorithm?" Natasha asked, moving so that she stood beside Steve with her arms crossed, "What does it do?"

"The answer to your question is fascinating," Zola replied, looking quite smug with himself, "Unfortunately, you shall be too dead to hear it."

Suddenly, the doors around them began to close and lock themselves; Steve had tried throwing his shield to block it, but, he was too late. Any chances at escaping were just closed off as Natasha's phone went off, alerting everyone.

"Steve, we've got a bogey. Short-range ballistic. Thirty seconds, tops."

"Who fired it?"

"SHIELD," Alex whispered, squeezing her eyes shut at that cold realization.

"I am afraid I have been stalling, Captain," Zola told them as Natasha moved to grab the flash drive while Steve grabbed hold of Alex after prying open a vent, "Admit it, it's better this way. We're both of us… out of time."

Panic set in as Alex felt the building shake from the missiles that were fired. Steve wrapped his arms protectively around both Alex and Natasha after grabbing hold of his shield. Alex's teeth ground together as she felt the intensity of the heat and the explosions. Nothing could have prepared her for what had happened, or what would happen next.

* * *

 **AN: I know it's been a while since I've updated... or, even heard from anyone. Not sure if readers are even still interested in this, but, I'm determined to finish it. I'm not feeling very inspired to update or write anything in general, at the moment /:**


	7. A New Friend

**Chapter Seven**

Her thoughts were churning with anxiety as she realized what had happened. After shoving off the debris that had covered them when the missiles hit, Steve helped both Alex and Natasha out of their hiding place. Alex's hands were still trembling when she remembered feeling the building shake from the force of the impact. It had taken everything she had not to shift into a Night Fury, not only because of their lack of space, but, because she knew that would give away their position.

"I need to call my mom," she whispered, feeling as if the world around her was spinning.

Natasha looked at her sympathetically before handing over her phone. She knew how close Alex was to her mother. Despite all the chaos that recently happened, she knew that she had to tell her mother that she was safe.

"It's protected from tracers SHIELD would use on it," she explained when Alex eyed the device warily.

She gave a faint nod after realizing this was Natasha's way of keeping themselves safe along with her mother's location hidden.

Drawling in a deep breath as she followed the other two, Alex knew she would have a lot of explaining to do. She quickly dialed in the number, suddenly hoping and praying that her mother wouldn't answer. Of course, life always seemed to throw a monkey-wrench in her plans.

"Alex?" she heard her mother's voice from the other line, along with the sound of music in the background, "Where have you been? When I stopped by Berk to visit you weren't around. No one would tell me where you are."

"Mom, I'm really sorry, but I can't tell you where I am," Alex replied, feeling her throat go dry at the thought, "Look, some things happened and I can't drag you or anyone else into it."

"Does this have anything to do with your job?" mom demanded, and, Alex's heart nearly skipped a beat when she felt Natasha's eyes boring through her. "Alex, what aren't you telling me?"

"I'm sorry, mom," Alex sighed, knowing she was probably going to regret not telling her sooner about her 'job'. Now that she knew the truth about SHIELD and Hydra's involvement, it somehow felt tainted and wrong to say anything about what Fury had asked of her, "Can you please stay on Berk until I get back? It'll be safer for you, and everyone else. I know I have a lot to explain, but until I see you and Hiccup again, that's not going to happen."

Silence followed. Alex wasn't sure if her mother had dropped her phone, or if she was trying to piece two and two together. Whatever the case, she didn't want to explain the situation with Natasha and Steve listening.

"Alright," mom finally gave in, "I'll stay on Berk, for now. But, I expect an explanation when you get back."

"Deal," Alex replied, relieved her mother didn't plan on arguing any further.

Once she hung up, she returned the phone to Natasha and looked down at the ground as they continued walking along the empty street. It would take time for them to reach a parking lot where Steve could steal another car. Until then, Alex figured a good walk could take her mind off of what had happened.

"She cares about you," Natasha started as they walked side-by-side.

Alex glanced at her in surprise before giving a nod, "We've always sort of had each other when my father left us. I guess… we needed each other after that," she murmured thoughtfully.

The two of them walked on in silence. Alex couldn't tell what was on Steve's mind as he walked ahead. After everything that had happened, she couldn't blame him for his silence. Zola's explanation about Hydra becoming a parasite within SHIELD suddenly made sense, when she thought about it. It was Hydra who had captured the dragons after SHIELD found out about them. She had no doubt her father had played a large role in that, even before his disappearance.

"Things aren't going to be the same after this is over," Alex whispered, suddenly wishing that a hole would open up and swallow her.

"No, they aren't," Natasha agreed with her fullheartedly. "You could have just as easily stayed on Berk and kept out of this."

"I know," she replied, feeling a small smile tug at the corner of her lips, "But, I would've felt guilty for staying behind. I prefer at least being of some use."

Natasha nodded in understanding, having already guessed it was something along those lines. The only thing they could do now was find a ride back to Washington D.C. and get whatever help they could find. Before that, though, they needed a place to lay low, and, Alex already suspected Steve had a place in mind.

…

Morning had arrived by the time they reached Washington D.C. Alex's legs were beginning to feel like jello when Steve finally found a car prior to their arrival. Relief swept over her when she could take a temporary break and rest in the car before they showed up at Sam's place. They had to park a bock or two away for security reasons, but, at least they'd arrived mostly intact. Clearly, Sam wasn't expecting any visitors when Steve reached his door and knocked.

Alex knew that if this had happened just a few days ago before meeting Steve, Sam would've been stunned to see the three of them standing there. Judging by the look on his face, he wasn't even fazed with the idea of seeing them there.

"Hey, man," he greeted them, looking between the three of them in confusion.

"I'm sorry about this," Steve apologized with a shake of his head, "We need a place to lay low."

"Everyone we know is trying to kill us," Natasha added.

Sam looked between the three of them, "Not everyone."

Once inside, Alex wasted no time in cleaning herself up. She hadn't realized until than how long it had been since taking a decent shower. On any normal occasion, she would have used the temporary break as a chance to stop by Berk and make sure Hiccup and the others were okay. Of course, she knew better than to go back, now. There was no way in hell she planned on putting their lives in danger. Not with so much at stake.

She bit back a sigh at the thought, knowing she had no one to blame for this mess but herself. If she hadn't been pulled into this madness because of Fury's convincing, maybe she could have saved herself from this trouble. But, curiosity and a determination to make sure that dragons didn't fall into the hands of Hydra again, had gotten the better of her.

 _None of this would have happened had I stayed out of it_ , she reminded herself.

To her surprise, Sam was waiting in the small living room when she finished washing up.

"Something tells me this isn't what you signed up for," he started, crossing his arms as he eyed her thoughtfully.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.

"Considerin' how different Steve and that redhead are from you, it's blindingly obvious," he replied, gesturing for her to take a seat at the kitchen table while he did the same.

"I wasn't ready for any of this," she admitted, feeling guilty for interfering not only with Steve's job, but, Natasha's as well. The only reason they had dragged her into this was because Pierce saw her as a witness to whoever killed Fury, "I've learned to adapt and go with the flow over certain circumstances, but, this?"

"This is a whole new level of weird," Sam finished for her, nodding in agreement. "You were with the dragons that day, weren't you?"

It took a moment for his words to sink in. Alex felt her heart nearly skip a beat as she tried thinking of a dozen excuses. SHIELD had made up a story to keep the public's attention off the dragons, but, she knew people would figure it out sooner or later.

"Dragons? What dragons?" she tried deflecting, though, the look in Sam's eyes told her otherwise.

"I know what I saw on the news, that day," Sam retorted. To her surprise, he didn't sound annoyed or fearful, "So, were you with them?"

"Yes, I was," she sighed, realizing there was no point in hiding it. Sam didn't look the least bit surprised. He did, however, look surprised when she mentioned Snowfire, "The dragons and their Riders were just trying to defend the rest of the world from the Red Death. Snowfire and Toothless worked together to stop her."

Sam's mind looked as if it was just blown when she said that. Few people were aware that not only were dragons real, but, there were also multiple species, as well. That was part of the reason Fishlegs had been keeping the Book of Dragons updated. Between that and wanting to make sure the Riders knew what they were up against, it was a good idea to keep a log on them.

"You did all of that, by yourself?" he finally asked in disbelief after taking a seat.

"I wasn't technically alone," she reminded him with a sheepish smile. "Once I met Snowfire, we worked together helping Hiccup and his friends get back together."

Which had led to them journeying across the United States to find them, and, to SHIELD. Alex still found it hard to believe how much time had passed since that fateful summer. Their lives had changed so much, since then.

"You up for any breakfast?" he asked after letting her story sink in.

…

Natasha sat on the bed, staring off into space as she thought of everything that had happened.

"You okay?" Steve asked when he stepped in after seeing Alex talk with Sam.

The two of them seemed to be getting along fine, for now.

"Yeah," Natasha replied tersely, not meeting his gaze as he sat down beside her on the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked quietly, knowing that when something was bothering her, it had to be serious.

Natasha was the kind of person who rarely allowed things to bother her.

"When I first joined SHIELD, I thought it was going straight," she started after letting out a sigh, "But I guess I just traded in the KGB for HYDRA. I thought I knew whose lies I was telling, but… I guess I can't tell the difference anymore."

Steve looked at her thoughtfully. Having only read bits and pieces of her history with the KGB and the Red Room, even he didn't know just how far gone she had been before she was found by SHIELD.

"There's a chance you might be in the wrong business," he told her.

She only offered a ghost of a smile at that.

"I owe you."

"It's okay," Steve replied, regarding the fact that he would have done it anyways, enemy or not.

"If it was the other way around, and it was down to me to save your life, and you be honest with me, would you trust me to do it?" she asked, eyeing him warily.

"I would, now. And, I'm always honest," he replied without missing a beat.

"Well, you seem pretty chipper for someone who just found out they died for nothing," she said with a faint smile.

Steve rolled his eyes when he realized what she meant by that. He had always speculated that Hydra still existed. After storming so many bases during their attempts at finding any remaining dragons that were held captive, he'd begun to understand that Hydra was still alive and strong.

"Well, I guess I just like to know who I'm fighting," he admitted.

Both fell silent after that. Steve's eyes narrowed in thought as he wondered how they were going to explain this one to the rest of the team. He was surprised at how well Alex had handled the situation, given that she was dragged into all of this without warning.

Then again, given her history, she had more than likely already experienced something like this.

"We made breakfast," Sam announced after peering through the doorway, "If you guys… eat that sort of thing."

Once again, neither said a word as they converged in the kitchen. Steve rose an eyebrow in surprise when he spotted Alex standing at the stove, flipping pancakes.

"I'm not that terrible of a cook… at least I don't burn everything I make, like Astrid," she said over her shoulder when she caught him staring.

Even Steve grimaced at the mention of Astrid's cooking, having had a taste of himself after he was tricked into trying it. The look on Astrid's face as well as his own had been priceless. Alex could still remember the swearing that followed when Astrid realized he was trying not to vomit from it. If it wasn't for the fact that he not only held his own in combat with Astrid, but also could outrun her on any occasion, Alex was positive Astrid would've kicked his ass, and Snotlout's for tricking him into doing it in the first place.

He couldn't help but watch for a few minutes before all of them sat down at the table and settled in. Alex had already passed out the plates and filled them with pancakes before grabbing a couple for herself. Sitting between Sam and Natasha, she looked more at ease than ever.

"I still can't get used to the fact that Vikings and dragons are real," Sam shook his head. "How the heck were you able to adjust to that kind of life?"

She only shrugged in response, eyeing her plate warily before answering, "I guess I've always felt more at home on Berk than I do, here. It helps when you're friends with the Chief's son… Hiccup helped me a lot before I finally figured out what I wanted in life."

Sam looked as if he was ready to ask more questions when he thought better of it. The awkward silence that followed only added to the affect as all four of them sat there with breakfast in hand. Natasha was the one who finally cut through the silence with a question Steve had been considering himself.

"So, the question is: who in SHIELD could launch a domestic missile strike?" she asked.

Alex rose an eyebrow in mid-bite, fork still in hand before she set it down. The answer was already forming in her eyes before Steve decided to intervene, for her sake.

"Pierce," he said for her, earning a look from her.

"Who also happens to be sitting at the top of the most secure building in the world," Alex added under her breath, clearly not happy with that notion.

"But he's not working alone, Zola's algorithm was on the Lemurian Star," Steve pointed out when he realized the reason the flash drive had appeared on those computer monitors.

While it irked him to no end that Zola was somehow still alive, it didn't surprise him. At this point, he knew that anything was possible. The only thing they could do now was find a way to stop Zola before he had access to Project Insight. Millions of innocent lives were at stake this time.

"So was Jasper Sitwell," Natasha put in.

"So, the real question is: how do the two most wanted people in Washington kidnap a SHIELD officer in broad daylight?" Steve asked, hardly noticing Sam returning with what looked like papers in hand.

"The answer is: You don't," he cut in after throwing the papers in front of them on the table.

Alex eyed the blueprints thoughtfully when she noticed the wings and design of the suit. It was a photo of his para-rescue team. What surprised her more than anything was that he would be willing to put his life on the line again, after pulling out of that.

"What's this?" Steve asked warily.

"Call it a resume," Sam replied.

"Is this Bakhmala?" Natasha asked in surprise as she took the photo, "The Khalid Khandil mission, that was you?" She looked at Sam thoughtfully, who nodded while trying to remain modest. "You didn't say he was a para-rescue," she added to Steve.

"There's a lot that Steve doesn't say," Alex muttered under her breath, earning a look from the Super Soldier.

"Yeah, I'm beginning to realize why," he retorted, though, she hadn't missed the amusement in his voice. "Is this Riley?" Steve asked after taking another picture of a man standing proudly beside Sam.

All of them were dressed in the same suits, looking ready and fit for the battle that lay ahead.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, frowning at the thought of mentioning his partner and best friend.

"I heard they couldn't bring in the choppers because of the RPGs. What did you use, a stealth chute?" Natasha asked this time.

"No, these," Sam replied, showing Steve the file that Alex had looked at moments ago.

Steve rose an eyebrow in surprise upon seeing the set of wings for the first time.

"I thought you were a pilot?" Steve asked as Alex moved to clean up the table, setting the dishes in the washer before she returned to her spot.

After living with her mother for so many years, she'd learned to accept that some chores were downright unavoidable.

"Never said I was a pilot," Sam retorted.

"I can't ask you to do this, Sam," Steve tried turning him down, "I've already dragged a kid into this."

"Newsflash, Super Soldier, I'm not a kid anymore," Alex snapped before he could drag her any further into the conversation, "I'm getting married in a few months, in case you've forgotten."

That was also another realization that still struck her to the core. She just couldn't get used to the fact that Hiccup had proposed to her at all, given the circumstances of their situation. Sam merely smirked in amusement while Natasha tried to hide her own thin smile at Alex's response.

"Dude, Captain America needs my help," Sam reminded him with a slightly smug and excited look, "There's no better reason to get back in. Plus, this could be my only chance to see a dragon up close and personal."

Alex almost smirked at that. Yep, they were going to get along just fine.

"Where can we get our hands on one of these things?" Steve asked.

"The last one is at Fort Meade, behind three guarded gates and a twelve-inch steel wall," Sam replied without missing a beat.

Steve looked between Alex and Natasha, not missing the look Alex was giving him. One plasma blast from a Night Fury might not be enough to break into that steel wall. They would have to work together in order to break through, but, that shouldn't be too difficult.

"Shouldn't be a problem."

* * *

 **AN: Thought it was time for an update, seeing as it's been well over a week. So, I was randomly scrolling over my story stats when I saw Another Hiccup has over a hundred thousand views! That in itself is incredible, considering my writing at the time wasn't that great (I wouldn't say it's gotten better, since then, but, I'm trying). Thank you everyone for all of your support; you have no idea how much that means to me :')**

 **As for everyone who reviewed, sorry for complaining so much /: I just worry whenever people don't review that the chapter itself isn't good enough, or that the story itself isn't getting anywhere.**

 **Sil - Thank you! Glad I have you in such suspense ;)**

 **Scout017 - Thank you; I know the feeling. I'm just glad people are reading the story at all. As for your recommendation, I have been trying to change things around here and there, it's just challenging since it is based off of a movie /:**

 **SilverStorm5 - Thank you! :)**


	8. The Winter Soldier

**Chapter Eight**

The plan was simple.

After they broke into Forte Maede and made off with the flight-wing suit, they returned to Washington D.C. where they could locate Sitwell. Natasha was the one who surmised that he would be the most likely candidate working for Hydra, given that he was on the ship at the time of their rescue.

"Remember, we only want to shake him up enough that he talks," Steve said after looking at Alex pointedly.

"What's the point of turning into a Night Fury if I can't scare the crap out of him?" she rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as she looked at the roof that stretched before them.

She didn't miss the fact that Natasha had to hide the smirk that followed. If they were jumping a Hydra agent, she at least wanted to do it right. Steve was the one who insisted they make it as clean as possible. The less casualty, the better.

Though, she couldn't necessarily blame Steve for wanting to keep the public from getting wind about what was going on. Few people knew about SHIELD's existence to begin with. She had a feeling there would be worldwide panic if people found out Hydra was back.

"You can change now, if it makes you feel any better," he sighed after seeing some logic in her question.

 _As a matter of fact, it does_ , she thought after doing just that.

Sitwell was an easy pushover compared to some of the agents she had seen in SHIELD. However, that didn't mean she was going to drop her guard. She'd learned quickly enough that it was best to keep her senses alert when it came to being on the field.

Alex carefully peered over the edge in time to see Sitwell with Senator Stern. She couldn't help but narrow her eyes when she caught the two men walking out of a restaurant. If she had to guess what they were discussing, it was the latest news regarding whatever happened at the Treskellion, and Director Fury's death. Not for the first time, she was thankful Night Furies had a good sense of hearing, and was able to pick up on the last bit of their conversation as they walked towards the stairs.

"Listen, I gotta fly home tonight, cause uh… I got some constituency problem, and I gotta press the flesh," Stern explained, glancing uneasily at Sitwell.

"Any constituent in particular, Mr. Senator?" Sitwell asked as they paused for a moment on the bottom of the steps.

It didn't take her long to spot Sam sitting on a bench not far from where the two of them were standing, looking about as casual as he could get in a situation like this. Everyone had taken their positions on the rooftop. Now, it was a waiting game to see how long it would take to find their target and take him in for questioning.

"Uh… no, not really. Twenty-three, kind of hot. Real hot. You know, wants to be a reporter, I think. I don't know, who listens at that point?" Stern said.

"Doesn't sound much of a problem to me," Sitwell said with a big smile on his face.

It only took a second for Alex to realize what they were talking about. It took everything she had not to make a face of disgust, especially with Natasha and Steve lingering in the background.

"Really? Cause she's killing my back. Look, this isn't the place to talk about it." This time, Stern's fingers grazed over the edges of a small looking pin on his suit. Chills swept through her when Alex realized what the pin symbolized. She'd seen Hydra's logos before thanks to Zola's programming. Her own father had had a pin himself before he disappeared. "That's a nice pin."

"Thank you," Sitwell smiled, fully aware of what it stood for.

"Come here." Alex watched with interest, this time, as they embraced each other with a hug. Something in the back of her mind told her this was anything but a friendly exchange. Sitwell working for Hydra only added to the growing list of people she was beginning to find more than irritating. "Hail Hydra." She cocked her head to one side when she noticed Stern wince a little, clearly looking uncomfortable for a moment, "See that, right?

"I just saw that," Sitwell agreed with him.

"Should I get it checked?"

By the time they were finished talking and had reached the curve, Alex was already backing down from the edge and returned to Natasha and Steve. Having heard that conversation only left her head reeling. How many more agents were working for Hydra that they weren't aware of?

It took a few moments for Sitwell to realize that he was being watched. Natasha had already hacked into his phone and gave Sam the green light to call him once Stern was gone. That was the opening they needed to strike back while Sitwell was unprepared for whatever attack followed.

Alex looked on in amusement as Sitwell was tossed on the roof moments after Sam made contact with him.

"Tell me about Zola's algorithm," Steve demanded the moment Sitwell caught his breath, then screamed when he saw Alex.

He tried making a run for it when she pinned him to the ground, glaring daggers at him. Even if she couldn't hurt him, the scare tactic was always the second-best option they had. Besides, the asshole really thought he could get away with working for Hydra. Something of which she wouldn't forgive him for, anytime soon.

"You might wanna rethink the silent treatment," Natasha quipped after shooting Alex a look of approval as she continued holding Sitwell down. "We have no control over what she might or might not do to you."

If she wasn't in the form of a Night Fury, she would have been laughing at the sight before her. Beads of sweat rolled down Sitwell's face as he stared at her in terror, looking ready to scream again as a growl formed in the back of her throat. She was half-tempted to throw in a plasma blast for good measure, but, reminded herself of what Steve had said earlier.

"Never heard of it," he finally responded, voice coming out in a high-pitched tone.

"What were you doing on the Lemurian Star?" Steve continued prying him with questions, losing patience fast.

"I was throwing up; I get seasick." Alex only snorted at that, letting out a puff of smoke in the process. She highly doubted that was the case, and could only guess he was there to ensure that the program had been running properly before the ship was taken over by the pirates. She did, however, loosen her grip on him after realizing that he was beginning to talk, only to move forward and push him towards the edge, "Is this little display meant to insinuate that you can throw me off the roof?" he added, trying to sound brave when he failed miserably at it, "Cause it's really not your style, Rogers."

"You're right, it's hers."

Alex chose that moment to release her grip on him, stepping back as Natasha moved forward and kicked Sitwell over the edge. By now, she was stifling a fit of laughter as she heard him scream once more.

"Oh, wait. What about that girl from accounting, Laura…?" Natasha suddenly asked, turning to look at Steve.

 _Really? You're choosing now to bring that up_? Alex wondered, glancing at the two warily.

"Lillian," Steve corrected her, "Lip piercing, right?"

"Yeah, she's cute," Natasha replied.

"Yeah, I'm not ready for that," Steve shook his head.

The three of them looked up in time to see Sam returning with a freaked-out Sitwell as he tossed him back on the roof, landing just seconds later. Alex tilted her head to one side as the wings on his jet-pack retracted. She never would have thought that was what he had been talking about had he not shown them those pictures.

"Have to admit, that is an impressive sight," he nodded to her.

She returned the gesture before finally shifting back.

"Zola's algorithm is a program," Sitwell explained in a more frantic tone after realizing what he was up against, "for choosing Insight's targets!"

"What targets?" Steve asked.

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip, already guessing what he meant by 'targets'. If Insight truly was part of Hydra's agenda, she had no doubt they would be targeting anyone who held ties against Hydra. It only added to her resolve that this needed to be dealt with before the ships were launched.

"You! A TV anchor in Cairo, the Undersecretary of Defense, a high school valedictorian in Iowa city. Bruce Banner, Stephen Strange, anyone who's a threat to HYDRA! Now, or in the future," Sitwell replied.

Her blood ran cold when she remembered the video Zola had shown regarding Tony's parents and their crash. It was all assumed a tragic accident, but, she was beginning to realize it was anything but that. True, it was still a tragedy, but, the ones responsible for it had planned it.

"The future?" Steve questioned, raising an eyebrow in confusion, "How could it know?"

She couldn't help but squeeze her eyes shut as Sitwell laughed. If what she believed was true, they were in bigger trouble than she first believed. Hydra literally had eyes and ears everywhere, like Fury had warned them about.

"How could it not?" Sitwell asked, "The 21st century is a digital book. Zola taught HYDRA how to read it." While Steve and Natasha shared looks of confusion, Alex was already beginning to piece together how Zola was able to teach them how to read it. If his mind was already on a computer database, he would have been able to communicate with anyone through said database. "Our bank records, medical histories, voting patterns, e-mails, phone calls, your damn SAT scores. Zola's algorithm evaluates peoples' past to predict their future."

"And, what then?"

"Oh, my God," Sitwell exclaimed, expression turning more fearful by the second as he realized how much information he'd given out, "Pierce is going to kill me."

"What, then?" Steve snapped in a tone that told Alex it was best not to argue with him.

"Then the Insight Hellicarriers scratch people off the list. A few millions at a time," he replied with a tired sigh.

Once again, Alex found herself staring at the ground as worry clouded her thoughts. She suddenly understood how Hydra was able to get a hold of so many dragons. When she and the Avengers were working together to take down some of their bases, she'd quickly learned that Hydra somehow got a hold of dragons that belonged in the world of Berk.

 _He always said our worlds are more connected than we realize_ , she thought as she recalled her last encounter with her father.

…

"Hydra doesn't like leaks," Sitwell muttered as he sat in the back seat of the car.

Alex only half-listened to his complaints, hating the fact that she was forced to sit beside him, with Natasha sitting on his other side. Steve and Sam were sitting up front after they'd decided to head for the Triskelion once Sitwell was in cuffs. The whole thing was downright uncomfortable, as far as Alex was concerned.

"It would help if you kept your mouth shut," she snapped after he continued his complaints.

"Exactly," Sam nodded in agreement, "So, why don't you try sticking a cork in it."

"Insight's launching in sixteen hours, we're cutting it a little bit close here," Natasha said, leaning forward as she sat behind Steve.

"I know," Steve replied, "We'll use him to bypass the DNA scan and access the Hellicarriers directly."

Natasha leaned back, and glanced at Alex, noticing how quiet she had been prior to snapping at Sitwell. Her mind was running a mile a minute over what they just talked about, and the endless possibilities of what would happen after. She was worried about Hiccup and the people of Berk, along with her mother. If anything happened to them because of this… She knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"What?" Sitwell asked in disbelief when he realized Steve's plan, "Are you crazy? That's a terrible, _terrible_ idea!"

He was between mid-rant when a hand suddenly struck through the window of the car. Alex bit back a cry of shock at the glass flying across them. It took everything she had not to shift right than and there as she felt hot pain burn across her cheeks. She was hardly aware that shrapnel had cut across her face; at that point, she was too terrified to notice.

"Shit!" Sam swore after realizing too late what had happened.

Alex looked over her shoulder as he slammed on the breaks, wincing when she saw Sitwell was tossed into traffic while the car was still moving.

"Duck for cover," Natasha snapped as she ducked underneath Steve.

Alex didn't have much time to think about it as bullets were fired in their direction. One bullet in particular came dangerously close to hitting her shoulder. She finally ducked behind Sam before more shots were fired. She was amazed that Sam could keep driving while the bullets were fired at them. Her mind was already spinning with thoughts on how to keep herself from changing forms.

It wasn't until Sam finally came to a screeching halt that the metal hand crashed through the other window. Alex bit back a cry of shock as the metal hand reached for her. When he tried yanking her out of the car, she managed to wriggle herself free of his grasp, hitting him hard in the side with her elbow. She knew that he would have killed her had she allowed it.

"Alex!" Sam called in alarm when he realized too late what was happening.

The Winter Soldier suddenly lunged forward, managing to throw a mean swing across her face. Her heart nearly skipped a beat as she shifted into a Night Fury, using her wings to give her a better landing after flying across several cars in the process.

Her eyes narrowed with outrage as she glared at the Winter Soldier, only to find him focused on the still moving car. She swatted her tail across the chests of a few agents who were getting too close for comfort. By now, Sam had already joined her after ditching the car.

"Good to know you can put up a fight," Sam remarked after firing at a couple of agents.

She simply nodded in response, and was ready to say something when she spotted Natasha not far away. She felt her stomach drop with horror after noticing that her shoulder had been shot at. Natasha didn't let the injury show, though, as she made a run for everyone standing near the bridge.

"Get out of the way! Stay out of the way!"

As the crowd of people began running in the opposite direction, it didn't take Alex long to figure out why Natasha was getting them out of the way in the first place. An explosion shook the area seconds later, causing the ground to tremble. Alex ground her teeth together as she spotted Steve sparring with the Winter Soldier, holding their own in a fist fight. It wasn't until Steve managed to scrape off the Winter Soldier's mask that he froze mid-fight, frowning in confusion.

The Winter Soldier was about to use Steve's distraction as a chance to strike back when another explosion went off, throwing him back in the process. A moment of alarm swept through Alex when she noticed the black SUVs circling around them until they had them surrounded.

Her eyes narrowed when she saw Rumlow step out of an SUV, weapon in hand as they were ordered to stand down. A small part of her refused to do just that, feeling defiant against their orders. Yet, she knew that they along with the civilians around them would suffer the consequences if they kept this up.

"Change back, now!" Rumlow shouted to her, knowing full-well she could just as easily fire a plasma blast at him, and knock them all off the bridge.

She wasn't prepared for the casualties, though. Her eyes closed for a brief moment before she did just that. There was too much at stake for her to continue defying orders, and the last thing she wanted was to be responsible for letting more civilians get hurt along the way.

"Nat," she whispered after kneeling down, ignoring the glare Rumlow was giving her. She was already losing a lot of blood, and of course, there wasn't much any of them could do. "She's losing a lot of blood."

Sam was ready to say something when Steve reached them, ignoring Rumlow's orders. She wished there was more she could do. She had already lost enough as it was. Between Stoick and Fury, she didn't think she could afford to lose anyone else she cared about.

"Not now," Rumlow ordered after noticing the helicopters that were beginning to approach the bridge. Alex knew if the media got wind of this, they would never let it go that SHIELD was arresting two Avengers, along with revealing the Winter Soldier's identity. "Not here!"

The agent who had his gun aimed dangerously close to Steve's head finally lowered after realizing that Rumlow was serious. Alex swallowed hard, knowing that things couldn't have gotten any worse. She could only glare back as they were all thrown to their knees, unsure of how to get anyone out of this mess.

* * *

 **AN: There's the next chapter! I apologize in advance if there's anything I might have skimmed over in this part of the movie... which might happen a lot in the next couple of chapters... I've been trying to keep the quality of each chapter and length around the same, if not longer. That's why it's taking me longer to update, between that and making sure that I haven't missed too much, it's taking a lot longer than I expected to post anything. Thank you, silverwolvesarecool and ShadowPhoenix121 for reviewing!**

 **Sil - Lol, yep; overprotective parents have a tendency to forget that, don't they ;) Though, in her mother's defense, she does have a valid reason to worry in this situation. And, I'm glad to hear that; it's hard writing about characters who can connect with readers, so, I'm glad to hear I've succeeded in that ^^**

 **ShadowPhoenix121 - Thank you! I actually do plan on writing more... Age of Ultron is definitely a possibility, and I do have some ideas revolving around Guardians of the Galaxy floating around. So, this story is far from over :)**


	9. The Bunker

**Chapter Nine**

An eerie sense of quiet filled the truck as Alex sat beside Steve, watching Sam and Natasha who were sitting across from them. She knew the risks of getting involved with SHIELD. She knew there would be risks involved helping Steve. Nothing could have prepared her for any of this, though. She continued staring at the floor as she imagined what life had been like months ago. At least things had been peaceful, to an extent. She and Hiccup had been talking about setting a wedding date, and even how to move things forward on Berk. Now, she didn't even know if there would be a future after all of this.

"It was him. He looked right at me and he didn't even know me," Steve said, referring to his encounter with the Winter Soldier.

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip thoughtfully, knowing that Steve would blame himself for what had happened to his friend. The idea of his old friend being alive sent shivers of unease through her. Considering the Super Soldier himself was alive after being frozen in ice, she knew it was possible. Still, that didn't stop her from questioning him.

"How is that even possible?" Alex asked, her voice barely a whisper.

"That was like, seventy years ago," Sam nodded in agreement, finding the whole thing difficult to believe.

Though, when Alex thought about it, she realized the possibilities were real. After all, Steve had miraculously survived after being frozen in ice.

"Zola. Bucky's whole unit was captured in '43, Zola experimented on 'em," Steve deadpanned, and, a shiver ran through Alex at the mention of 'experimented'. After dealing with her own father and the experiments he ran on her, she could relate to that. "Whatever he did, it helped Bucky survive the fall. They must have found him."

"None of that's your fault, Steve," Natasha pointed out.

 _No, but, he'll blame himself for it_ , Alex thought, squeezing her eyes shut. If she had known any of this would happen, she wouldn't have gotten herself involved with it. Yet, something in the back of her mind told Alex that she would have ended up being thrown in the middle of it, anyways. Snowfire was so insistent about her being prone to danger. Now, she was beginning to realize that Snowfire _and_ Hiccup were right.

"Even when I had nothing, I had Bucky," Steve said quietly.

It was only after that when Sam spoke up again, this time catching Alex's attention.

"We need to get a doctor here. We don't put pressure on that wound she's gonna bleed out here in the truck," he informed the guards watching their every move.

If it wasn't for the fact that they were confined in the truck, Alex would've done everything she could to fight back. The truth of it was, she hated being treated like a prisoner, and confined to small spaces. She knew from experience that turning into a Night Fury now, would only end in disaster.

Before Sam could make a move, the guard sitting beside their partner suddenly pulled out an electric rod, tasing their partner and knocking them out. Once the guard rolled to the floor, the other guard kicked them promptly in the head, killing them instantly.

Alex rose an eyebrow in disbelief as the guard in question finally pulled off their helmet. Her eyes widened in disbelief when she recognized the guard as nothing more than Agent Maria Hill. While they were never on the best terms as far as getting along went, she'd never felt more relieved to see a familiar face than at that moment.

Maria made a noise of complaint after shaking her head, trying to clear her thoughts, "That thing was squeezing my brain." She paused before looking at Sam, who just looked equally confused. "Who's this guy?"

"Sam Wilson," Sam introduced himself.

"Agent Maria Hill," Maria returned the gesture with a handshake before moving to drill a hole through the floor of the truck. "How bad is her injury?"

"Not as bad as it looks," Natasha drew out.

Alex looked at her doubtfully, knowing that even someone like Natasha Romanoff couldn't last forever with an injury like that. They needed to get it treated, fast.

Once Maria had drilled enough of a hole that they could slip through without being noticed, Alex moved to help hold up Natasha while Sam started putting pressure on her wound. Once again, Alex was amazed with how adapt Maria was when on the field.

"We'll go as soon as the truck stops moving," Maria warned them.

"Something tells me they're just waiting for the right opportunity to kill all of us," Alex muttered under her breath, earning a look from Steve.

Maria nodded in agreement, unperturbed by her insight.

"Wouldn't have ended well, for them. Not with your friends constantly on the move," the brunette pointed out.

That was enough to catch Alex's attention. She knew Hiccup well enough that he would be stubborn enough to go through the portal himself to make sure that everything was okay. But, to go through even after she'd warned him about SHIELD's compromise and everything else, left her worrying he'd done something incredibly risky.

"Don't worry, we intercepted them before they could get very far," Maria suddenly added.

Relief swept through Alex at that notion. Once the truck finally pulled to a stop, all of them jumped through the hole to make an escape before the rest of the agents arrived.

…

A dam was the last place Alex would have suspected a base would be kept. The Hoover Dam, however, seemed a bit appropriate to keep a hidden bunker. Once they arrived in the bunker after hopping into an emergency vehicle, they wasted no time in rushing through the expanse of hallways.

"GSW. She's lost at least a pint," Maria snapped to the doctors that were rushing in to check her injuries.

"Maybe two," Sam put in.

Alex's eyes widened with fear at the realization of how dangerously close Natasha had been to losing too much blood.

"Let me take her!" the doctor exclaimed.

"She'll want to see him, first," Maria said.

Natasha just looked at Maria in confusion as she, Alex, Steve and Sam walked down the hallway and made their way deeper into the bunker. Maria pulled the plastic curtain away, revealing someone Alex presumed to be dead. She just stared at the man for a few seconds, too dumbfounded to say anything as Steve wore an equal facial expression.

"It's about damn time."

Beside the figure was another face Alex hadn't expected to see until this mess was over. When Maria mentioned that they'd intercepted her friends before they could get any further, she hadn't realized until than what she meant by that.

"Alex!"

She couldn't hide the look of relief that followed as she left Steve's side and reached the curtain, ignoring the world around her for just a moment as Hiccup pulled her into a tight embrace.

Even if she was angry with Hiccup for going through the portal and risking his life, she was thankful to see him again. She wrapped her arms around him, relishing the warmth and sense of familiarity he provided. She didn't want to admit out loud that it felt as if it had been ages since they last saw each other.

It took a few seconds for them to pull apart. When they finally did, Alex hadn't missed the smug look Natasha was giving them. Steve and Sam just looked at the pair with raised eyebrows, while Fury rolled his eye.

"I was worried about you," Hiccup admitted as their eyes met, "I knew something was wrong when you didn't show up after a few days."

"Are Snowfire and Toothless with you?" Alex asked warily.

She knew if the dragons were out in the open, people wouldn't hesitate to find some way of hurting them or hunting them down. Snowfire wouldn't let that happen, though. After being so adamant about not liking humans, Alex couldn't blame her for wanting to avoid getting caught by them, again. Considering she had been chained up by humans when they were first captured, she could hardly blame Snowfire for feeling the way she did.

"They're here; there's a space big enough for both of them to stay," Maria explained before Hiccup could.

Alex let out a sigh of relief as she leaned into Hiccup's arm, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"How the hell are you alive?" she added to Fury.

"Tetrodotoxin B. Slows the pulse to one beat a minute," he explained as the doctor moved to work on Natasha's wound. Everyone took their seats to hear him out, "Banner developed it for stress. Didn't work so great for him, but we found a use for it."

"Why all the secrecy? Why not tell us?" Steve asked.

"Any attempt on the director's life had to look successful," Maria informed them.

"Can't kill you if you're already dead. Besides, I wasn't sure who to trust," Fury added in a firm tone. "You two go and sort things out with those dragons of yours."

His order only made it sound as if he was treating them like children. Alex nearly rolled her eyes at the thought, knowing full-well she was capable of kicking his sorry ass for keeping so many secrets. She knew she wasn't much better, herself, but, at least she was trying to make up for it. She'd finally confessed to Hiccup what her father did to her, after all the years they'd spent together. Neither of them needed to be told twice, though, when they weren't wanted.

With that thought in mind, Hiccup took hold of Alex's hand and led the way down the narrow corridors. She didn't bother asking where they were headed, having already guessed as they reached a larger room that opened up from the extended hallways. She could already feel the temperature cooling own, telling her that was where Snowfire and Toothless were waiting. They barely had seconds to react when Hiccup was nearly tackled to the floor by the familiar form of a Night Fury.

"Ow! Toothless, you know I hate it when you do that," Hiccup complained as the Night Fury only warbled in amusement.

Alex couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed, especially as she spotted Snowfire narrowing her eyes at the three of them. Toothless' antics never got old, as far as Alex was concerned.

' _It is good to see you again, little one_ ,' Snowfire hummed after Alex reached her, wrapping her arms gently around her slim yet muscular neck.

"You too, Snow," Alex whispered back. She hated leaving Snowfire behind like that. But, she'd had her reasons for leaving her behind, this time. "I'm sorry; I should have warned you about all of this. But, we didn't know what we were up against."

"Alex, I should've known better than to go through the portal," Hiccup sighed once Toothless let him up. "You did warn us about SHIELD being compromised…" He paused, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as Alex let go of Snowfire and returned to his side. "I was really worried… I didn't wanna lose you, again."

Guilt swept through Alex when she realized what Hiccup meant by that. She knew that she was being reckless by joining Steve and the others in this final mission. She also knew it was purely out of habit, jumping into situations like these. Considering Hiccup was her fiancé, and everything else that happened, she understood his worries.

"Hiccup, I'm sorry," she murmured, feeling more than ashamed for putting him through this. "I'm sorry for putting you through all of this."

Neither of them were sure what to say to that. Alex felt a knot forming in her stomach as Hiccup closed the distance between them once more. The knot tightened as his lips met hers, and she found herself melting into his warm embrace.

"I know you, Alex. You're about as Viking as Vikings get." She couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed when their eyes met, "And, as much as I hate to say it, this is an occupational hazard."

Alex only grinned at that. She wasn't going to argue with that notion. Her mother would've suggested otherwise had she heard that statement. But, the fact that Hiccup was willing to say it out loud only left her heart fluttering with joy.

"Thank you, Hiccup," she whispered, kissing him firmly once more. "Though, I have to ask; how the heck were you able to get through without anyone catching you?" she added curiously.

"Ah, we didn't exactly get through undetected," Hiccup admitted, rubbing his neck sheepishly when he gestured to the base they were in.

Alex couldn't hide the smirk that followed. He was lucky that Pierce hadn't tracked them down after going through the portal. She could only imagine the chaos that would have ensued, if they tried taking down Snowfire and Toothless.

' _You hatchlings are so strange_ ,' Snowfire rolled her eyes at their antics. She had no idea just how right she was. Though, Alex would never admit it out loud. ' _This, I have missed most of all, though_ ,' she added after resting her snout on Alex's shoulder. ' _I do not like being apart from you for so long, especially when your life is in danger_.'

After realizing what that meant, Alex simply nodded in agreement. She did miss everything. There was still a lot that needed to be said and done. Alex knew that Hydra needed to be stopped, one way or another. It might mean giving up everything she had worked for in the process, but, at least the world would be kept safe.

"I know," Alex let out a wary sigh. She couldn't help but feel guilty over the fact that she was constantly putting her life in danger. Snowfire did make a valid point. "I'm sorry for doing this to you… both of you." There was a pause when Snowfire let out a puff of smoke, letting it billow into her face. Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes at that when she looked at Hiccup warily. "What about my mom, is she safe?" she suddenly asked when they left the room to meet with Steve and the others.

"She's safe," Hiccup reassured her knowingly, "My mom ended up convincing her to stay on Berk for a few days after we told her what happened."

She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief at that. While they may not have been on the best terms, Alex would never wish any harm on her mother. Considering everything they had been through, she couldn't imagine life without her.

Once they reached the bridge, Alex could see Steve staring off into the distance. She knew this was all a lot to take in. Between finding out that Bucky was alive, and that Hydra still existed, she knew this sort of news wasn't something anyone wanted to take. Alex exchanged a worried look with Hiccup as he took hold of her hand, squeezing it gently. All of them had their own responsibilities. All of them were prepared for the risks that would come with such responsibilities.

"He's gonna be there, you know?" Sam asked after joining them, not missing the fact that Alex and Hiccup were together.

"I know," Steve sighed in understanding, accepting the fact that his once best friend was now a traitor.

"Look, whoever he used to be, the guy he is now, I don't think he's the kind you save," Sam put in knowingly as Alex and Hiccup reached the railing. Alex was more aware of the situation than Hiccup, but, she saw something flash across his eyes. "He's the kind that you stop."

"How can we be sure of that?" Alex asked, earning a look from Sam, "True, he may be working for the enemy and is likely under their control, but, none of that is his fault."

"You're talkin' as if you've experienced somethin' like this," Sam muttered in an accusing tone.

"You were under your father's control for a short time, weren't you?" Steve asked when Alex instinctively stiffened at the mention of her father.

Mention of him still brought back bad memories. She hated what that man did to her, and everyone around him. Yet, she'd also learned that his control didn't last forever. She was able to shake it off, thanks to Hiccup. Maybe there was a way to save Bucky, without having to stop him permanently.

"It was only temporary, but, it was enough for me to cause trouble and back," she muttered crossly, wincing at the bitterness in her voice. Hiccup took hold of her hand and squeezed it gently, already aware of how things had taken a turn for the worse when her father showed up, again. "Look, if there's any way of saving him, you should at least try."

"Thank you," Steve sighed, for once, agreeing with her. "You don't have to go with us."

"You're going anyways, aren't you?" Hiccup asked without missing a beat, and Alex couldn't hide the guilty smile that followed.

"Like you said, it's an occupational hazard," she replied, trying not to laugh when she caught the look written across Sam's face as he watched them. "I'll be fine, Hiccup. I'm not making any promises, but, I'll do my best to not get shot at."

Hiccup only rolled his eyes at that before moving forward to capture her lips with his.

"I'll try and keep Snowfire out of this," he reassured her as his hands fell to her waist, pulling her in close.

"Thank you, Hiccup," she replied.

She felt more than relieved that he and Snowfire would stay out of the fray. It wasn't until glancing over Hiccup's shoulder that she caught the resigned looks Sam and Steve were giving them.

"You two make the weirdest couple," Sam remarked.

Well, Alex wasn't going to argue with that. They did make an odd couple. Yet, Alex wouldn't have wanted things any different. As Sam and Steve suited up for the worst of the battle, she met with Snowfire and Toothless one last time before she had to leave with Natasha and Maria.

"Stay safe, Snow, and please, try not to rip any heads off while I'm gone," Alex warned her, knowing full-well Snowfire was capable of doing just that.

' _I cannot guarantee I will follow their orders_ ,' Snowfire huffed indignantly at the thought of being ordered around by humans, ' _You should not be putting your life in danger, again. Especially for humans who would not care less_.'

"I have to do this, Snowfire," she reminded her after wrapping her hands gently around Snowfire's snout, "It's the right thing to do."

Snowfire just rolled her eyes in annoyance, letting out a puff of smoke that covered Alex's face in the process, ' _You do not have to anything, little one. Yet, you are persistent enough to put your life at risk, for people you do not know. It is_ you _, who must remain safe_.'

"I will, Snow," Alex reassured her with a kiss on the snout before saying one last goodbye to Hiccup and Toothless.

She just hoped this wasn't going to be her last real goodbye. Whatever happened, she just wanted Hiccup and everyone else she cared about to remain safe. Even if that meant risking her own life in the process.

* * *

 **AN: I figured it's time to update this. I hope this chapter was better than how I felt; I'm trying to make it different from the actual movie, but not to the point where it confuses everyone. Anywho, thank you silverwolvesarecool, and Scout107 for reviewing!**

 **Sil - You're telling me D: Luckily, they all had a little backup, and a major surprise ^^ Thanks for the encouragement, it definitely helps :)**

 **Scout107 - I'm glad I could make your day better :) though I'm sorry it went badly in the first place /:**


	10. SHIELD Fallen

**Chapter Ten**

When it came to making life-changing decisions, Alex had become a pro at it. She'd chosen to stay on Berk with Hiccup and marry him after spending three years on the island, she'd learned to love it. The people of Berk were no different from the people she'd grown up with in her world. The only difference was, at least the people of Berk seemed more accepting than those of her own world. Which might have explained why she and Hiccup got along so well, in the first place.

"You'll stick with Agent Hill and Wilson; help out Cap if he needs it, and stay out of trouble," Fury told Alex after a decision was made to fight Hydra one last time, and put an end to Project: Insight.

She gave a simple nod, glancing at Hiccup as she noticed the look of worry flashing across his eyes. He had agreed to go back to Berk in the meantime, after realizing it wasn't safe for him, Snowfire or Toothless to be out in the open. Knowing that her life was in danger, though, hadn't helped matters. Once they reluctantly parted ways, it was now a waiting game for the rest of the evening.

No one got much sleep, the other night. Not with news of the oncoming battle approaching. Alex shook her head at the thought, knowing what lay ahead of her. She had already geared up for the battle to come, and with Steve grabbing his old suit from the Smithsonian, the rest of the team had already made their way to the Triskelion.

Getting to the Triskelion was the easy part. By now, most of the agency was made aware of Steve's 'betrayal', along with anyone working alongside him. Alex glanced over her shoulder, feeling a surge of anger rush through her when she noticed how heavily armed the place was. She thought of changing into a Night Fury, right then and there. It would make things easier for the rest of the team, but, it would also add to the risks of getting hurt.

"Remember the plan," Maria reminded her as if she'd read her thoughts, "We don't want any casualties unless necessary."

"Yeah? I'll think of that when they're shooting at me," Sam grumbled, clearly unhappy with the idea of having to face them.

"Not all of them know that Hydra infiltrated SHIELD," Alex pointed out, having to remind herself of that notion, "They'll just be following orders."

Maria nodded in agreement, looking mildly surprised with Alex's tuition of the situation. She'd been paying more attention than the woman gave her credit for. With Natasha and Fury taking the lead to where the Council was meeting with Pierce, they all reached the room where communications was located. Steve took his helmet off once the room itself was secure, with the three of them keeping an eye out for any Hydra agents that might try and interfere.

"Attention, all SHIELD agents. This is Steve Rogers. You've heard a lot about me over the last few days, some of you were even ordered to hunt me down. But I think it's time you know the truth. SHIELD is not what we thought it was, it's been taken over by Hydra." A shiver ran through Alex as she thought of how that had all played out. She knew that was why Pierce had asked her to join, in the first place. "Alexander Pierce is their leader. The STRIKE and Insight crew are Hydra as well. I don't know how many more, but I know they're in the building. They could be standing right next to you. They almost have what they want: absolute control." Alex hadn't missed the looks flashing across several agents' eyes when they heard that bit. Knowing that they could be working alongside traitors was unnerving enough. "They shot the Nick Fury and it won't end there. If you launch those Hellicarriers today, Hydra will be able to kill anyone that stands in their way, unless we stop them. I know I'm asking a lot, but the price of freedom is high, it always has been, and it's a price I'm willing to pay. And if I'm the only one, then so be it. But I'm willing to bet I'm not."

He paused to let this new information sink in. Alex looked around warily, not missing the expression written across Maria's face. Even after only knowing the older woman for a few years, she still took Alex by surprise with how calm she could be, during situations like these.

"Did you write that down, first, or was that all from your head?" Sam asked.

"He usually does it from the back of his head," Alex shrugged, earning a look from Steve as he put his helmet back on. "You know, you and Hiccup are more alike than you realize."

"I'm not sure if I should feel flattered, or worried about that," the Super Soldier muttered, looking more amused than worried, this time.

"Let's go; they'll be initiating the launch sequence, soon," Maria snapped, clearly annoyed with their antics, "Alex, we'll need your eyes on the sky."

Alex gave a nod, nearly rolling her eyes when she recalled that this was Fury's way of keeping her 'out of danger'. She knew that it was important to keep an eye out, though, for any trouble. Maria had given her an earpiece that would work while she shifted into a Night Fury. It may not have been the most comfortable object in the world, but, it worked.

All three of them ran outside the building, with Maria remaining at communications to get things sorted out and keep an eye on the security monitors. Alex felt her heart nearly skip a beat when she saw the Hellicarriers were already launching. Sam and Steve wasted no time in jumping into action, while Alex shifted into a Night Fury.

She took off into the air, dodging bullets left and right that were fired in her direction. Agents manning the Hellicarriers reacted almost immediately upon seeing her. She fired a plasma blast in the direction of the agents, causing them to leap out of the way just as Sam landed in the ship known as _Charlie_.

"Thanks, kid," Sam thanked her after letting out a rush of breath.

She gave a gruff nod, ignoring the look he threw her as he tried running towards the computer where the chips would be placed. With Sam momentarily distracted, Alex hadn't noticed the missiles that were flying towards her until it was too late. Panic swept through Alex as she swerved to avoid getting hit.

"Alex, those are heat-seeking missiles," Maria warned her when she too caught sight of the missiles, "Try and lead them away from the Hellicarriers; Wilson and Rogers are still working on disabling them."

 _You don't need to tell me twice_! Alex thought, desperately trying to shake off the missiles that were hot on her tail-fin. She managed to avoid careening into the building while drawling the missiles further away from the Hellicarriers.

Once she put enough distance between herself, the missiles and the Hellicarriers, Alex suddenly jackknifed and fired two plasma blasts. She wasted no time in diving back down, glancing up just in time to see that her plasma blasts landed direct hits on the missiles.

"Remind me not to get on your bad side, kid," Sam said after watching the scene from the ground. Alex only snorted in grim amusement as she landed beside him, shifting back seconds later.

"Where's Steve?" she asked, realizing that they'd managed to get a lock on every Hellicarrier except one.

"He's on the last Hellicarrier that needs to be taken down," Sam explained, glancing at the ship in question with worry.

Alex followed his gaze, eyes widening in horror when she saw what appeared to be metal flashing in the sunlight. It didn't take a genius to know that the Winter Soldier had followed Steve. And was now giving said Super Soldier one hell of a fight.

"And you didn't think to go help him?" she demanded, feeling her fists clench at the thought of what might happen if things went horribly wrong.

"My wings are busted," he snapped, shaking his head doubtfully, "Believe me, I'd be up there if I had the chance."

"My wings aren't," Alex muttered, earning a look from Sam.

He was ready to argue when she turned back into a Night Fury once more, launching herself into the air before he could say anything. Despite her pounding heart, and the blood that roared in her ears, Alex was able to pinpoint Steve's location. The Hellicarrier they were on was starting to fall; too much damage had been taken.

Time suddenly felt as if it slowed down when the glass underneath Steve and the Winter Soldier shattered. For a moment, Alex didn't know what to do when she realized too late what was happening. She dove after Steve and the Winter Soldier, trying to push down the overwhelming sense of fear of what might happen if she missed.

Once she caught them both, she barely made it to the river's edge. A combination of exhaustion, guilt and everything else suddenly rushed through her. She didn't have the heart to change back as the Winter Soldier slowly recovered.

She kept a distance between herself and the Winter Soldier, glaring daggers at him. The Winter Soldier just looked at her for a few seconds, as if he couldn't quite grasp the fact that she was there. Alex knew in a way that it couldn't be easy – after all, dragons weren't supposed to exist. If he was from Steve's time like he mentioned, there was no telling what was running through his mind, at the moment.

Eventually, Alex dropped her guard just a little when she noticed how badly injured he was, himself. Steve had sustained the most injuries, with several bullet wounds and cuts. She needed to get him to a hospital, and fast. She finally looked at the Winter Soldier, watching as he limped off to who knew where. Whatever happened from there, Alex knew she was in for an earful once this was over. The worst of the fight was over, but, she couldn't shake off the feeling that this was only the beginning of the end.

…

"You mean to tell me that you just let her go out there, alone?" Astrid asked in disbelief when Hiccup started pacing, again.

It was a habit he'd formed over the years when he started mulling over his worries. After returning to Berk with Snowfire and Toothless in tow, it became painfully obvious that they knew things hadn't quite gone according to plan. Astrid, of course, was the first to make this observation.

"What else was I supposed to do, Astrid?" he snapped, "Alex is almost as stubborn as you, if not more."

"Which is pretty hard to believe, considering how stubborn Astrid can be," Jacob muttered with a shake of his head.

He'd joined the rest of the Riders after receiving information on what was happening in Washington. The tension everyone felt over the latest news was almost overwhelming. Hiccup hadn't had the heart to tell Alex's mother, mostly because she overreacted over the slightest things. She'd mostly stuck around with Valka; luckily, the two women got along well.

"And, what's that supposed to mean, Faux?" The shield-maiden glared at Jacob as he shifted from one foot to the other, clearly unnerved with her hard stare. "I'm not stubborn, I'm careful. There's a difference."

Hiccup almost scoffed at that, knowing full-well he wouldn't want to invoke Astrid's wrath. She was far more terrifying to deal with than anyone he could imagine. Unless he counted Alex – Alex was a whole different issue when it came to her temper.

' _I do not like the idea anymore than you hatchlings enjoy it_ ,' Snowfire chided them after watching the young adults warily, ' _This is a decision that she must make, on her own. She belongs in two worlds, and one is more demanding than the other_.'

For once, no one had anything to say about that. Hiccup realized with a start that Snowfire was right. As much as he hated to admit it, Alex was part of two worlds. She belonged on Berk as much as she belonged in the world she grew up with. He just wished there was an easier way around this, without everything blowing up in their faces.

"Any idea what happened to the portal that she was keeping?" Jacob asked when the tension finally died down.

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted with a shake of his head. "When we used the portal here, it took us back to her backyard, which tells me that Stark moved it from the Tower."

Obviously. Otherwise, Jacob or her mother wouldn't have been able to get there.

As if someone had read Jacob's thoughts, Snowfire caught someone approaching the trio of Riders. Astrid crossed her arms, and Hiccup rose an eyebrow when he recognized the newcomer as none other than the brunette known as Agent Maria Hill.

"Who are you, and how did you know where to find us?" Astrid demanded, already gripping her battle-axe when Hiccup stopped her.

Hill just rose an eyebrow at the shield-maiden's defensiveness, "I can see why she warned me about you. She was right," she mused thoughtfully.

"Alex, is she all—"

"She's fine," Hill cut him off before Hiccup could ask anything, "She's with Steve, at the moment, and Wilson. The portal itself has been removed from her apartment, so, you won't be hearing about any incidents from our world. News of the dragons and your people has already spread like wildfire; Alex is working out a way to calm everyone down."

Hiccup couldn't hide the look of shock that followed. Knowing that the rest of the world knew about Berk, and the dragons, only left him feeling more anxious than ever about Alex. He felt Toothless nudge him gently, warbling in concern at recent events.

"Can we see her?" Jacob asked this time.

Hill gave a faint nod, though, she didn't look happy with the prospect. Not that Hiccup couldn't blame her. With everything that was happening, he couldn't help but wonder if things would ever go back to the way they were. He was just thankful that Alex was alright. He just hoped they could smooth things over, before the people of her world came charging through the portal, and demanding answers.

* * *

 **AN: Whelp, it feels like this chapter was rushed. I don't feel like it's reached the same quality as my other chapters, but, hopefully everyone else enjoyed it. Also, I am currently working on the next few chapters, which is why it's taking me longer to post them. I usually try to stay two or three chapters ahead before posting the next one, so I apologize for the delay. Thank you silverwolvesarecool for reviewing! I always appreciate reading your feedback :)**

 **Sil - I'm glad you feel that way ;) She and Hiccup are certainly going to be busy for the next few chapters, and not just because of the wedding :P And, thanks. I'm glad that you're enjoying this story so far; it's good to see that some people are still reading it, despite my hectic update schedule.**


	11. Talk With the Press

**Chapter Eleven**

"There are dangerous creatures that exist in an entirely different world from ours. This is a threat that we cannot simply ignore."

"Dragons aren't known to attack humans unless they're provoked. They're peaceful creatures, and would prefer if we leave them alone, entirely."

"Dragons are not even supposed to exist, Miss Hendrickson. How do you propose we create laws that extend to creatures that are considered mythical?"

Alex bit back a nasty retort at the lawyer that spoke up. Arguments had ensued in the courtroom revolving around dragons and the people of Berk for the last couple of hours, now. She'd struggled to maintain her composure throughout the arguments, knowing full-well people would come up with any excuse to hunt them down to the point of extinction.

The thought sent a shiver through her. If anything happened to the dragons, or the people of Berk, she would never forgive herself. She already blamed herself for letting this reach as far as it had. The courtroom itself consisted mostly of lawyers, zoologists who were actually for protecting the dragons, and scientists who were trying to demeanor them as nothing more than dangerous, wild beasts.

"Listen, I know that you people think the dragons will go out of their way to cause harm, but, they don't even know of this world," Alex insisted through clenched teeth. "They're happy and content where they are, and we should keep it that way."

She hadn't missed the look the lawyer threw her. It was a glare, and one she had become familiar with over the last couple of days. Spending time in the courtroom, the hospital, and several press conferences had taught her the meaning of patience.

"How do we know you won't tell these beasts to turn on us?" the lawyer demanded.

She nearly rolled her eyes before glancing over her shoulder. This was the moment they had been waiting for.

After discussing matters with Maria Hill for the last couple of days, it was decided they would try and introduce at least one dragon to the courtroom. One Alex knew wouldn't turn on them and prove that they weren't a threat. Toothless had been the perfect candidate – and the best part was, Hiccup had agreed fullheartedly to the idea.

"I think I'll let their actions speak for themselves," she replied, keeping her tone even-leveled as the curtains behind her shifted.

That was his cue.

The room fell into a hushed silence as the jury observed what was happening behind her. Alex couldn't hide the small smile that followed as the head of a Night Fury emerged from the curtains. The crowd watching in the distance stared for a few moments, unsure of how to handle the situation as Toothless fully emerged from the room he was waiting in, with Hiccup close behind.

Hiccup offered her a warm smile; not even he fully knew what to do in this situation. This was the first time he'd ever been asked to make an appearance in court. Unlike the way Vikings handled situations like these, the people of her time were at least willing to make compromises and work out the issue at hand. It could take years for Vikings to get over their stubbornness issues, and even then, there would still be a grudge after the matter was resolved.

"Toothless would never hurt anyone," Hiccup assured the crowd as they watched the Night Fury in awe. He'd already tried rubbing his snout against the palm of Alex's hand when she smothered a laugh at his antics, "When he lost his tail-fin, he had to trust _me_ in order for him to fly, again."

"And, trust is the most important aspect for dragons," Alex put in, ignoring the scowl that followed when the lawyer tried coming up with a valid argument.

As if to prove his point, Toothless warbled in agreement and sat down on his haunches. That alone was enough to catch the jury's attention. He didn't pose a threat. Instead, he was simply curious with all the humans in the room, and what they planned on doing about this ongoing issue.

"I think it is safe to say that they are right," the judge remarked after listening to the valid arguments for what felt like hours. "While the same cannot be said for the portal that Mr. Stark has designed, I can safely say that dragons pose no threat."

Alex had to suppress the sigh of relief that followed as her hand reached Hiccup's, squeezing it gently when she realized the verdict he was about to reach. The portal was a whole different issue in itself, one she hoped they could resolve without things turning into a firefight.

Once that verdict was passed, Alex and Hiccup let out sighs of relief when they left the courtroom in question.

This had been an ongoing issue for the last week since SHIELD's fall. Alex had been managing well on her own, with the help of Maria, Natasha and even Fury in the background. The problem was, people were scared. They were afraid of things they didn't understand, such as the portal itself and the people of Berk.

She wished there was an easier way around it. Maria had reassured her that things would settle down once all the files were looked over that Natasha had released. Natasha herself had been going through the same process of trying to clear her name, despite all the logical reasons they had to arrest her.

"Well, that was easy," Hiccup groaned once they were out of earshot from any reporters that might have stuck around for an extra story or two.

"About as easy as tossing around Thor's hammer," Alex muttered, crossing her arms in annoyance.

Things had not gotten any better since SHIELD's fall. Between dealing with this and everything else, she was beyond stressed. Hiccup could see it, and so could everyone else. She hated being the center of attention, especially when the press was involved. They'd been snooping around her mother's place for the last couple of days, trying to get a juicy story revolving around herself and Hiccup.

The only consolation that came with it was that Alex had been considering the idea of just staying in Berk, rather than going back to her world. She hated doing that to her mother, especially after everything they had been through, together. But, it wasn't as if she had any other reasons to stay.

"I don't know how you've been handling this for the last week," Hiccup shook his head, knowing full-well that had been a _good_ day. "I felt like I was gonna melt under their glares."

Alex offered a grim smile at that. He had no idea just how difficult this last week had been. All she wanted was for their lives to go back to normal. But, she had a feeling that a sense of normality would never be within their grasp.

"The good news is, the worst of it is over," she reassured him. "Maria's working out a way to keep them from getting their grimy hands on the portal; if worse comes to worse, Tony said he could keep it locked away in the Tower, or some other hidden location where they can't reach it."

Hiccup gave a nod at that, looking more than relieved with the idea of not having to deal with the outside world, again. They walked on in silence, with Toothless trailing close behind them. Now that word had slipped out about dragons being real, there wasn't any point in trying to hide him, anymore.

"How'd your mom handle the news?" he asked curiously.

"I've been trying to avoid her at all costs," Alex admitted, suddenly feeling sheepish for even thinking of her mother. She knew she was in for an earful when they met up, again. "I don't know what I'm going to do, with her."

Truth be told, there were more than enough reasons she had been avoiding her mother. Their last conversation hadn't exactly ended on a high note. Besides, her mother would freak when she found out that she had been working for SHIELD, and had been involved with stopping the three Hellicarriers.

"Why can't life ever be as simple as 'Go here, and go there'?" Hiccup muttered after realizing what Alex meant by that.

"Life is never that easy, Hiccup," she reminded him.

With that thought in mind, they both returned to Tower where the portal was located. At least from there, they could figure out what to do with themselves.

…

' _It is good to see you again, little one_ ,' Snowfire hummed after Alex, Hiccup and Toothless had returned to Berk. Alex couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed as she wrapped her arms around her in a warm hug, feeling more than relieved to be back, herself.

"You're telling me, Snow," she replied, knowing that it had been too long since they last saw one another.

Because of the trials that were being held over the dragons and their possible threat, Alex had been busy trying to make sure that the people from her world didn't interfere with the people of Berk. With Tony's promise of keeping the portal safe from said threats, Alex felt slightly reassured that they would remain safe.

"How did the trials go?" Valka asked when she reached them.

She along with a select few who wouldn't freak out upon hearing such news knew what sort of mess Alex had gotten herself into. The last thing she wanted was for the people of Berk to panic and think they were under attack. Besides, the portal was safe, for now. Alex knew that she could trust Tony, despite her earlier misgivings on him.

"Better than expected, all things considered," she shrugged, glancing at Hiccup as she caught the knowing look written across his face, "I think it's going to take time for them to adjust to this. But, they know that dragons aren't a threat."

"And, that is all we can hope for," Valka gave a slight nod, looking more than impressed with how Alex and Hiccup had handled the situation, together, "Your mother stopped by again; she's been asking for you."

"You haven't talked to her since you got back?" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip, suddenly feeling more embarrassed and guilty than ever as she remembered the reasons behind avoiding her overprotective mother. She knew her mother had every right to be angry with her. Heck, she could write a list of reasons why her mother was angry, and turn it into a book.

"I've been uh, avoiding her," she admitted, glancing at Hiccup nervously when she caught the look he was giving her, "Well, you'd be avoiding her too if you knew how overprotective she is!"

' _She was angry when you last spoke with her_ ,' Snowfire only confirmed Alex's worst fears of facing her mother's wrath.

While her mother didn't get angry, often, that didn't mean she wasn't capable of showing it. Especially when it came to being afraid. Alex knew full-well that her mother had been pissed off when she last called her, mostly because she had left a lot out. Once she got wind of the news and what happened with SHIELD, Alex had no doubt that her mother would freak.

"I think if it ever came to dealing with the court, or my mother, I think I'd rather take on the court," she groaned, rubbing the back of her neck as she thought of the worst-case scenario playing out.

"She cares about you, Alex," Valka reminded her with a sympathetic look, "It is only natural that she would feel so concerned for your safety."

She let out a sigh after realizing that Valka did make a valid point. And, while she was an adult, who also happened to be more independent than her mother seemed to realize, she understood her mother's worries. It was also that same worry that had led to Hiccup looking for her prior to the mess of SHIELD falling.

"I suppose you're right," she muttered, not really liking the idea of having to deal with this.

 _Because there isn't enough to worry about, as it is_ , she thought.

"Would you feel better if one of us was there?" Hiccup suddenly offered, knowing this was anything but easy for her.

Alex almost laughed at the thought, already trying to imagine how that would pan out. Hiccup had already seen her mother when she was angry. To say that it wasn't a terrifying experience would have been an understatement. Though, the more she thought about it, the more she understood that this was something she needed to deal with, alone.

"As much as I appreciate the idea of you helping me with this one, I don't think that's a good idea, Hiccup," Alex murmured. "I'll be fine… though, I might need a couple blocks of ice after she's finished with me."

' _That can be arranged_ ,' Snowfire hummed in amusement. She pressed her snout against the open palm of Alex's hand, letting the temperature drop around them as if to prove her point.

"Thanks, Snow," Alex couldn't hide the grin that followed, relieved that no matter what happened, at least she had her friends and family by her side. She knew she had to face her mother, at some point. Maybe it was better to do it now, then wait until it was too late.

* * *

 **AN: I figured it was time for an update. I am sorry for not updating in so long; I'll be the first to admit that TV has gotten the better of me XD The Orville and The Librarians have kind of taken my attention... hopefully I'll get back on track, though. At any rate, thank you to silverwolvesarecool and Scout017 for reviewing!**

 **Sil - Yep, I'd be thoroughly embarrassed if something similar happened to me :P Luckily, Hiccup didn't do anything too rash... unless you count revealing a Night Fury to the press as rash ;)**

 **Scout017 - Thank you. I always feel insecure about what I write; it's part of the reason why it takes so long for me to post a chapter, let alone a story. And I'm glad you've been enjoying it; hopefully you liked this chapter, as well :)**


	12. Mother Knows Best

**Chapter Twelve**

"Alexandria McKain Hendrickson!" Alex winced at the tone of her mother's voice, especially when she used her full name. She knew she was in trouble when her mother started the conversation with her full name, "Of all the reckless, dangerous stunts you could have pulled off, this was by far the worst!"

She'd finally decided to confront her mother after discussing the matter with Hiccup for what felt like hours. One flight around Berk later, and, she was standing in their house while listening to her mother rant.

Hiccup had jumped at the opportunity to slip away when he was offered the chance, knowing full-well that he wanted no part in this. Not that Alex couldn't blame him. Toothless had followed him shortly after, leaving Alex to face her mother's wrath. Though, Alex couldn't particularly blame Hiccup for wanting to avoid this confrontation. Considering she told him he didn't have to be there to hear it, it was a wonder he'd stuck around for as long as he did.

The only consolation she had was Snowfire, who'd been watching them for some time, now. Alex had explained to her mother what happened before she could spit out what she'd seen from the news. Her mother, of course, freaked out within minutes upon hearing the full story.

Not that Alex found reason to blame her. She knew that she was already walking on thin ice with her mother. After finding out that the Avengers had asked her to work with them, her mother had been on edge over the risks she was taking. Not to mention her mother hadn't taken the news of what her father did very well.

"Mom, would you please just stop and listen to me, for a minute?" Alex demanded after her mother went on with her rant for another few minutes. By now, her head was throbbing from all the shouting. She knew she deserved it; the risks she made were too high for her mother's liking.

"Alex, I'm tired of hearing that you've either gotten yourself nearly killed, or, worked as at an agency that spies on people for the last few months," her mother sighed, rubbing her face as she sank into a chair after pacing for the majority of that ranting. "When is it going to end? With you losing your life? Or worse, someone you know and care about getting killed?"

Once again, Alex found herself wincing at that suggestion. Her fists clenched at the thought of letting something like that happen. She always knew it was a possibility, given her line of work and the dangers she was constantly in.

"You know that's not fair, mom," she snapped, eyes narrowing when her mother finally looked at her. She swallowed hard, forcing back the lump forming in her throat, "Mom, I'm twenty-one, now. I'm old enough and independent enough to take care of myself. I know it's your job to worry about me, but, don't you think you're taking it a little too far?"

Her mother furrowed her brows, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the chair. They'd gathered chairs to sit around the backyard. Since Snowfire was obviously too big to fit in the kitchen, they had chosen the backyard to discuss what had happened. Alex had been more than relieved when her mother at least agreed to those terms.

' _In many ways, you are still a hatchling_ ,' Snowfire chided, and, Alex resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was thankful her mother did not hear that, especially when she caught her mother's expression change several times. ' _In others, however, you have grown from your experiences, in both worlds_.'

If there was one thing Alex had learned about Snowfire throughout the years, it was that she often kept some of the things that were said to themselves. The mental link they shared was always unique. Both Valka and Fishlegs had been looking into why Snowfire was the only dragon who could communicate telepathically. But, the only conclusion Valka could reach was that Snowfire had been born mute, and her telepathy was a gift that only she had.

"Look, I know that I've made a lot of reckless decisions, in the past," Alex went on after shaking her head at Snowfire's remark. She paused, thinking back to how young and foolish she had been when she first met Snowfire. Even _then_ , she made stupid choices that had nearly cost her life. "And while I don't regret any of them, I do know that I've learned from them."

Her mother just shook her head in frustration. Alex knew she was already treading on thin ice. She understood why her mother was so overprotective, given her history. They had been alone for most of their lives after her father disappeared. It wasn't until going on that fateful camping trip that their lives changed forever.

Now, they had not only the people of Berk looking out for them, but, the Avengers as well. Alex suspected that while she had decided to move to Berk and stay there, her mother would always have a place on the island if she decided to make the same change.

"Alex, the last thing I want to do is lose you," she sighed after letting her shoulders relax.

Alex chewed the bottom of her lip when she realized what her mother meant by that. She finally leaned against Snowfire, letting her shoulders drop as she struggled to relax. After everything that happened, she couldn't necessarily blame her mother for feeling so angry, or worried.

 _It isn't as if our job was ever easy_ , she reminded herself.

Then again, Alex began to wonder when it had become their job to keep others safe. The weight of responsibility rested on her shoulders after meeting the Avengers, and finding out that she could turn into a dragon. She'd always believed that if she had the power to help others, she should at least do so.

"I know," she murmured, suddenly feeling guilty for lying to her mother. Lying was something that had come easily for her, though. Six years of putting up with her father had taught her to lie between her teeth, and, thus, kept her mother safe in the process. "Mom, I'm sorry for making you worry. I know you're worried about me working with the Avengers, but, it felt like the right thing to do."

She watched as her mother's face began to deflate. Try as she might, her mother couldn't keep a straight face for long. She of all people knew that Alex had grown up since meeting Hiccup and the others. She'd changed dramatically, thanks to them. But, she had also always been selfless and caring towards the people she loved. That was why she never had the heart to tell her mother about the things her father had done to her.

"Sweetie, I will always worry about you," her mother said after standing up to wrap her arms around her. Alex rose an eyebrow at that; she wasn't sure if she should have felt worried, or relieved that her mother was beginning to accept her choices, "But, I can't force you into making your choices."

' _That depends on who it is you are speaking to_ ,' Snowfire huffed, not looking the least bit happy with those words. ' _You will always be my hatchling_.'

Alex couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed. She never got tired of hearing Snowfire's voice. As odd as it sounded, it was reassuring to know that she would always have someone looking after her. Snowfire had always been overprotective, and, she had a feeling that wasn't going to change, anytime soon.

"Well, at least two of us agree with something," her mother laughed after letting go. Relief swept through Alex when her mother finally dropped the subject. The fact that her mother was willing to drop the subject told Alex that she too had changed, over the years. Even a few months ago, her mother would have likely grounded her for a month had things gone her way. "There's still a matter that we need to discuss, one I know you and Hiccup aren't going to look forward to."

' _Though, something tells me this one will look forward to it_ ,' Snowfire hummed in amusement.

She bit back a groan at the thought, realizing too soon that Snowfire was right. Her mother had been practically begging to be part of the wedding, and for them to have it in their world. The problem was, with SHIELD's fall and everything else, Alex didn't know if that was such a good idea.

"There's enough tension as it is between the press and everything else," she admitted as they wandered away from her mother.

"I've noticed they were edgier than usual," her mother nodded in agreement before frowning, "You don't think they would go after Berk, do you?"

Her concern left Alex shivering with unease.

The thought had crossed her mind multiple times. She knew that the military wouldn't hesitate to hunt dragons down if they considered them a threat. The problem was, to get to the dragons, they would need the portal. To make matters worse, they would need to get past Berk. The people of Berk acted as the guardians of dragons, and Alex knew they wouldn't hesitate to retaliate against the military.

"I'm not sure," she murmured thoughtfully, "We've tried convincing the press that dragons aren't a threat, but…"

She paused and looked at Snowfire, knowing full-well that the public wasn't her only concern, at this point.

' _We would never allow those humans to reach the island_ ,' Snowfire snapped, her tone dangerously low, ' _It would not end well, for them_.'

Alex tilted her head to one side, wondering if that was true. She was suddenly aware of Snowfire's violent nature when it came to protecting the ones she cared about. If it ever came down to a battle, things would end in disaster on both sides.

"Come on, why don't we go back?" her mother finally suggested after noticing how unnerved she looked.

She gave a faint nod at that, feeling more than relieved to drop the subject.

Once that was said and done, Alex activated the portal and led the way through.

Almost immediately, she was greeted with the familiar cold breeze that always seemed to continuously sweep the island. Since Berk was so far in the north, the island was always hit with bitterly cold winds and snow. Instead of an actual summer, they had a mild winter. When winter finally rolled around the corner, which was usually within a couple of months in their version of summer, the weather often got worse.

She could still remember the one year when Hiccup explained how the dragons had only just been accepted on the island, and peace was made with them. Unfortunately, the animals had never gotten the memo, and had panicked when they tried convincing them that dragons were safe. The whole thing had led to an uncomfortable time during a blizzard, and the dragons ended up saving them all by reverting to their natural instincts.

It didn't take Alex long to realize that the lake in the cove had been frozen solid. The only reason she and her mother weren't shivering from the cold was thanks to Snowfire using her abilities to control the temperature around her. She silently thanked Snowfire for that, realizing that her ability had saved her life on more than one occasion.

"I almost forgot it's winter, here," she breathed out.

"Remind me again why you enjoy the cold?" her mother asked, eyes widening when she caught sight of her breath billowing in the air.

She almost rolled her eyes at that. Since they lived in Pennsylvania, where the winters could go either way, she was used to the cold. They lived in the mountains, which only made things worse. Winters could be unpredictable, bringing feet of snow, or mild warmth. No matter what seemed to happen, there wasn't any point in following what the meteorologist said.

"It grows on you," she replied with a shrug.

' _Indeed, it does_ ,' Snowfire hummed in agreement, nudging the back of her hand as she led the way out of the cove.

The only reason she had kept it in the cove was to keep any trespassers from finding the village of Berk. If anyone from her world ever did find access to the portal, they would end up in the same place. While the village itself wasn't that difficult to find, anyone who decided to slip through the portal undetected would soon find out that the village was protected by thick forest.

Luckily, it didn't take them long to reach the village itself. Alex's shoulders sagged in relief when she found herself surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of the village. Dragons were flying about to and from the feeding stations Hiccup had set up for them. Most of the repairs from Drago's attack had been finished, along with a few modifications from Hiccup and Valka's suggestions.

The village had become both dragon friendly, and human friendly. After years of figuring out how to get both dragons and humans to live alongside each other peacefully, Hiccup's hard work had finally begun to show, in more ways than one. It amazed Alex at how much the people of Berk had adapted to life with dragons. Especially as she recalled how brutal the battles between Viking and dragon had been, according to Hiccup's stories.

Astrid was the first to reach them, with Stormfly close behind. The Deadly Nadder squawked a greeting, as Snowfire lowered her head and returned the gesture. Alex watched as the unlikely pair greeted one another in their own strange way.

"Hiccup wasn't brave enough to face your mother, huh?" the shield maiden asked with a knowing smirk.

"He practically jumped at the opportunity to get away," Alex explained while glancing in her mother's direction. She was relieved that her mother had gotten distracted with one of the villagers. All of them had been more than welcoming, to her surprise and relief. She had been worried about how they would handle yet another outsider, let alone someone like her mother. But, they all seemed more than happy to share whatever information they had of their world with her, "Truthfully, I would have done the same if I could."

"Was it really that bad?" Astrid rose an eyebrow in surprise, knowing full-well that her mother had always been overprotective.

' _She would not cease her shouting_ ,' Snowfire rolled her eyes, ' _It was enough to make even myself want to leave_.'

Alex only grinned sheepishly at that. She was thankful Snowfire hadn't chosen to leave her side at the most tense moments. Considering everything they had been through, together, it only seemed fitting that Snowfire also remain by her side during a scolding from her mother.

"I am grateful to have my mom, though," she admitted after rubbing the back of her neck. The two of them walked side-by-side, with Stormfly and Snowfire close behind. She was thankful that she and Astrid finally saw eye-to-eye. Things between them had finally changed for the better ever since they were both sent to Asgard during the Convergence. "She's done so much for me, and I know it's asking a lot for her to take it easy after everything that happened."

It took Astrid a few seconds to understand what Alex meant by that. She made a face before glancing at Alex warily.

"You have a strange way of accepting things that can't be changed," she pointed out. She heard a huff coming from Snowfire, and soon felt a nudge seconds later.

' _She has a point, little one_ ,' she remarked thoughtfully, ' _You are often_ too _willing to compromise with others_.'

She brushed it off with a shrug, already aware that both were right. She had long-since learned that the best way out of a fight was to compromise, or, leave it be. Of course, she had her exceptions to that rule when it came to people like her father, or Drago Bludvist. Some people couldn't be swayed, no matter what was said or done.

"With SHIELD fallen, I'm not even sure if staying in my world is safe, anymore," Alex murmured as they reached the village plaza. Astrid looked at her in surprise, and she found herself looking down at the ground guiltily, "The world knows about Berk and the dragons. There's no telling what will happen, now."

Astrid wasn't sure what to say to that. If it came down to war, she and the rest of the villagers would defend the island to their last breath. Alex just hoped that it never came down to that. She had a feeling that if worse came to worse, she would have to shut down the portal entirely. It meant never returning to her world, but, at least the people of Berk would be safe.

"I don't know what to say," she said after frowning at the thought. "But, we wouldn't let anything happen to the island… or, the dragons, for that matter."

 _I just hope it doesn't come to war_ , Alex thought with a shudder. _It isn't the answer, and it will only end in tragedy on both sides_.

* * *

 **AN: So, I apologize for the long delay. I've kind of been editing this chapter here and there. I'm also rewriting a few chapters from Dreams Don't Turn to Dust... I'm not sure if I'll post the rewrite. I do always feel insecure about my writing, so that's part of the reason I haven't been posting as often. Thanks again to silverwolvesarecool for reviewing! (I also apologize for the corniness of the chapter title; I couldn't think of anything better XD)  
**

 **Sil - Hehe, that's good to hear. Yeah, she and Hiccup are in some serious need of a vacation; hopefully one will come up after their wedding ;)**


	13. A Modern Traditional Viking Wedding

**Chapter Thirteen**

Wind roared violently in her ears as she soared through the sky. The rocky islands and sea stacks that jutted from the ocean blurred past as she swerved around them with ease. The warm sun beat against her black scales, creating an almost soothing sensation.

The warm sensation didn't last long when she spotted a set of targets nearby. Narrowing her eyes at the sight, she felt the familiar heat rising in her throat before firing a plasma blast at each of the targets. They shattered within seconds, creating a flurry of wood and stone from the boulders they were attached to. Amusement swept through her as she narrowly avoided crashing into a rocky bluff seconds later. Just under a year ago, she would have likely crashed into that bluff had she not been paying attention.

"Whoa, that was six targets at once!" Fishlegs exclaimed as he, Meatlug and the other Riders waited for her return to the sea stack where they were hiding. "I always knew Night Furies had a perfect aim, but that's even better!"

"That is what the Book of Dragons says, Fishlegs," Hiccup remarked, grinning as she landed nearby and changed back. "That's a new course record, too."

Alex couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed as Snowfire reached her, nudging her in greeting. She had been waiting impatiently for her to return, and, Alex couldn't blame her for feeling anxious. They had agreed with this target practice for each Rider, and Alex jumped at the opportunity to practice her own skills at flying.

"It gets easier with each practice run," she shrugged once the adrenaline wore off.

' _It will also become more challenging with more distractions_ ,' Snowfire reminded her with a look of amusement.

"Remind me again why we have to run these courses?" Snotlout muttered, "We've been doing this for the last week, and Hookfang's getting tired of it."

The Monstrous Nightmare just rolled his eyes at that. He'd quickly learned to put up with Snotlout's complaints, even if they annoyed him to no end. There was no denying the affection Snotlout had for Hookfang, though. Alex knew that despite his ploy to act tough and strong, Snotlout always had a soft spot for Hookfang.

"We've all agreed to do this because it's necessary," Astrid pointed out, "We've been slacking in our training since Drago was taken down."

She wasn't wrong about that. Even Alex had begun to notice a lack of interest in the academy ever since Drago had been defeated. She knew that a fight would break out, eventually. Peace never lasted forever, and with the constant threat of her world pushing over the edge, they all needed to be better prepared.

 _It's better to be safe than sorry_ , she kept telling herself.

After expressing her worries with Hiccup over the possibility of a war between her world and the people of Berk, he too had agreed that they needed to start preparing themselves. Though, he was more concerned over how this would affect her, more than anything else. Alex felt herself torn between worlds; the last thing she wanted or wished for was to split off entirely from where she was born and raised.

"Alright, I think it's safe to say that we need a break," Hiccup sighed when he noticed that everyone else seemed more than exhausted.

They had been going at this training exercise for the last few days, now. Even Eret joined in, and seemed to enjoy working with Skullcrusher. The two of them were the perfect match for each other, even if Eret didn't like to show it.

"It's about time!" Snotlout groaned after hopping into Hookfang's saddle, "We've got some real work to do, right, Hookfang?"

Hookfang only growled in response, bucking his head back enough to throw his Rider out of his saddle. Alex had to fight back a fit of laughter when Snotlout landed on his butt beside the Monstrous Nightmare. Some things never changed. She had to admit, she loved watching the antics between them.

"So, this is what happens when Berk's at peace?" she asked once the others had trailed after him when he recovered.

"More or less," Hiccup replied with a shrug. "Truthfully, I'd rather it be like this."

"You and me both," she sighed in agreement.

Toothless let out a warble of concern when he reached them, brushing his snout against Hiccup's hand when he noticed something was off. Alex exchanged a worried look with Hiccup, and she suddenly found herself wondering if all of the fighting had been worth it.

She wished that their lives hadn't changed so dramatically over the last few years. Life had been simpler when she first met Hiccup and his friends. At least back then, the only thing they had to worry about was getting back to Berk without getting caught by SHIELD.

"You know, I've been talking to my mom about the wedding," Hiccup suddenly added when a comfortable silence followed. Alex looked at him in surprise as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, "I know that your mom wanted a wedding in your world, and with SHIELD being, well, you know… I thought it might be appropriate to have a wedding that you're comfortable with."

Alex blinked in surprise at that vague explanation. She had been comfortable with any decision they made, as far as weddings were concerned. The problem was, the village elders had been adamant that Hiccup have a traditional Viking wedding. And, she had begun to wonder if it was best to stick with said tradition. After all, they had already changed so much for the sake of the dragons and the new people who only added to that change.

"Hiccup, the last thing I want to do is cause a rift within your village," she sighed as he reached her, closing the distance between them, "I feel like I've already caused enough problems as it is."

She hadn't missed the warning look Snowfire threw her at that. Of course, she had caused more than her fair share of problems throughout the village. Stoick had welcomed her with open arms when she first arrived with Snowfire. But, the problems had continued long after her arrival, and only seemed to get worse with each passing year.

' _You should not blame yourself for something you have no control over_ ,' Snowfire remarked, watching the pair carefully.

"Snowfire's right, Alex," Hiccup reassured her with a warm smile. Alex couldn't help but return the gesture as she felt the familiar rush of butterflies return when his hands reached her waist, pulling her in close, "You'll always have a place in the village. You've done more than enough to earn it."

' _And, if anyone disagrees, they can answer to my teeth_ ,' Snowfire added in a growl, sweeping her tail across the sea stack in the process.

She almost laughed at the spray of dirt that followed from Snowfire's movements.

"Okay… so, I know that this may sound a bit crazy, and something tells me the village is going to hate me for it, but, I did have one thought in mind," she suddenly admitted with a sheepish grin.

Hiccup rose an eyebrow as he wondered what she had in mind.

…

"A modern traditional Viking wedding?" Astrid repeated what Alex and Hiccup had explained when she and Jacob had been asked to join them at the academy.

With the other Riders busy performing their usual duties, Alex and Hiccup had used it as an opportunity to explain the plan they had formulated. Though it wasn't necessarily the greatest idea in the world, it was something that would work out for everyone.

"I know it sounds confusing, but, it means having the wedding here on Berk, with the modern wedding vows that would happen in our world," Alex explained.

"Actually, that might not be a bad idea," Jacob mused thoughtfully.

Alex was thankful he had agreed to meet with them. He had been busier than usual since enrolling in college. Because he wanted to study engineering, he'd decided to take the leap and focus on school. She hadn't seen much of Jessica since he'd made his choice. The two of them had been dating since she met Hiccup and his friends. Though, Alex wasn't sure how much longer he would put up with Jessica's arrogance.

' _It would be easier if you humans weren't so picky about what you liked_ ,' Snowfire sniffed in annoyance, ' _It is difficult to please so many at once_.'

"You're telling me," both Alex and Hiccup groaned at the same time.

They had long-since given up the idea that they could make everyone happy. After discussing the issue during their daily afternoon flight around Berk, they both decided to just wing it and see what would happen. The village elders might not be happy, but, they needed to move on with their lives. The longer they waited, the more difficult it would get.

"If I'd known that getting married would be this difficult, I would've just gone to Vegas and signed the papers," Alex muttered crossly.

She hadn't missed the smirk Jacob threw her, while Astrid furrowed her brows together at the thought of returning to Vegas. Their last trip to the big city had ended in disaster, with the Riders and their dragons getting captured just after they were almost all reunited.

"Life is never that easy," Jacob reminded her knowingly.

 _You're telling me_ , she nearly rolled her eyes.

"So, what do you think of it?" Hiccup asked Astrid uncertainly.

Since she had the most respect from the village elders, and most of the village after himself, it made sense to ask her opinion. Alex couldn't help but watch as Astrid's expression wavered slightly. She looked like she was ready to tell them that it was a crazy idea. That, their plan would only end in disaster.

"Honestly, I think it's your best choice," she replied. Alex eyed her warily as Astrid looked between herself and Hiccup, "Look, I know that the elders are set on their ways, but, Hiccup, you're the Chief. And if you really love her, then, that's what matters the most."

For once, Alex didn't know what to say when she realized what Astrid meant by that. Her heart nearly swelled with joy at those words, especially since she knew how Astrid felt about her when they first met. To see how much she had changed, and that they had both grown to respect each other, meant more than she could ever admit.

"Thank you, Astrid," Alex breathed out, ignoring the look the shield maiden gave her. "For everything."

Astrid only rolled her eyes at that, though, Alex didn't miss the fact that she was also grinning. It was hard to believe that this was the same shield maiden who could throw an axe at the target without a second thought.

"Do you mind if we talk?" Jacob suddenly asked when the awkward silence that followed only seemed to get worse.

 _Well, if that isn't a random question, I don't know what is_ , Alex thought, looking at Jacob warily as she wondered what he had in mind.

' _Go with him_ ,' Snowfire encouraged with a nudge of her snout.

One look between Astrid and Hiccup was all it took for her to realize that it must have been serious, if he wanted them to talk alone. She bit back a sigh before following him out of the academy. His Monstrous Nightmare, Sniper, had been left at the stables under Valka's care. Since he didn't visit Berk as often as he used to, Jacob had been debating whether he should let Sniper go, or offer him to someone who could take care of him.

"So, what's on your mind?" she asked warily as they walked side-by-side through the forest.

The scenery was oddly soothing. There was a time when Alex would have never admitted out loud that she preferred Berk over the modern world. After spending the last four years on the island getting to know its vast landscape, she would never want it any different. The modern world was loud, full of pollutants and worse, had a serious lack of dragons.

"I've been thinking about how you managed to help Captain America and the others take down Hydra," he admitted, glancing at Alex uncertainly. She simply tilted her head to one side as she wondered where he was getting at with that, "Do you know how amazing it would be to work with people like him?"

"It isn't exactly all they make it out to be," Alex replied with a shrug. "Besides, something tells me you wouldn't want your life to constantly be in danger."

That, Jacob had to laugh at. She couldn't picture him doing the same thing. Though, Jacob had taken her by surprise on more than a few occasions.

"Look, all I'm saying is, you're pretty lucky to know the Avengers and have worked with them," he said, pausing for a moment as they reached the cove.

"Okay, what's really on your mind?" she asked after noticing that he was stalling.

The awkward silence that followed was enough of a reminder that they hadn't exactly been keeping in touch the way they once did. Guilt suddenly gnawed at her heart at the thought. Jacob had always been there for her, and lately, she had been too busy to even have a decent conversation with him.

"Jessica and I broke up," he explained.

Alex stared at him in disbelief. She had begun to wonder if they planned on going further than a girlfriend and boyfriend relationship. Jacob was the type of person who would want to stay dedicated to one girl, and had done just that with Jessica. How he managed to stay with her for as long as he did without losing his mind, she would never know.

"I'm sorry to hear that," she murmured, suddenly feeling self-consciously when they chose to sit on a boulder near the portal. "How… how exactly did it happen?"

"We're both at different points in our lives," he explained with a shrug. "I'm serious about going to college, and she's, well…"

He didn't bother finishing that statement. He couldn't. Alex saw it written across his face, and her eyes narrowed with anger as she realized Jessica must have hurt him in some way. She'd always known Jessica was self-centered and arrogant to see past her own faults. What bothered her more than anything was that she got away with her attitude.

"Jacob, I'm so sorry," she whispered after wrapping her arms around him in a hug. She knew that couldn't have been easy to go through, especially alone. She almost wished he would have told her sooner.

"Hey, at least it showed me her true colors," he reassured her with a small smile. "I'm just sorry I didn't see it sooner, and for the way she treated you all those years."

Well, he wasn't lying about that. Jessica had played the typical role of a school bully. She was nasty to anyone who crossed her the wrong way, and held a grudge to prove just how self-centered she was. She had a feeling that karma would get to Jessica, one way or another.

"So… are we good, then?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah, we're good," Jacob replied, his smile widening. "You'll have to let me know when the wedding is, though. I don't plan on missing it."

Alex only laughed in agreement to that, knowing full-well he was the first friend she planned on inviting, "Deal."

* * *

 **AN: Well, words can't even begin to describe how sorry I am for not updating the way I had been... I haven't lost interest in the story, though my fascination with the HTTYD universe has begun dwindling. I really do plan on getting back into this series, it just might take a bit longer for me to start writing newer chapters that I feel are up to my standards. At any rate, thanks to silverwolvesarecool for reviewing!**

 **Sil - I'm planning on keeping that bit a secret :P Last thing I want to do is give away spoilers (though it may take me forever to post a new chapter and reach that point in the Marvel universe) I do enjoy writing the different perspectives everyone might have on how things should be handled. Thanks again for reviewing, I always appreciate reading them :)**


	14. Wedding Gifts

**Chapter Fourteen**

There was almost a sense of excitement in the air of Berk. Not soon after reaching the decision that they would hold a traditional wedding from the modern world on Berk, with a few modifications from ancient Viking traditions, everyone was eager to see the wedding day through. Both Alex and Hiccup had been thoroughly relieved that the elders agreed with their idea. While it wasn't the most ideal situations they could have asked for, at least they were willing to compromise.

From what Alex had gathered, Gobber planned on hosting a large party for the occasion. The blacksmith had already started preparing the Great Hall, where the wedding itself would be held. Viking weddings themselves were wild affairs. Alex had quickly learned this the hard way after witnessing more than a few of them, herself, while on Berk.

Both she and Hiccup had been busy preparing themselves for the actual date. Because the village demanded so much attention before the wedding could begin, she and Hiccup hardly had the chance to see one another during the day. The only chance they really had in seeing one another was at night, where they would slip off and circle around the island with Toothless and Snowfire. Moments like these were the ones that Alex found herself appreciating now, more than ever.

"Am I the only one who's worried about the wedding day?" Hiccup asked when they finally landed on a nearby sea stack overlooking the island of Berk.

With the moon slowly rising over the island, they knew they would need to head back before anyone noticed they were missing. Another tradition Alex had picked up on was that they were technically forbidden from seeing one another until their wedding day, or enduring any physical activities. She suddenly felt as if she was on constant watch, with either Valka or her own mother prying her away before she could meet with Hiccup. Gobber, Fishlegs and the other Riders were just as bad at dragging Hiccup away when he finally found some time to slip away.

"No, you're not the only one," Alex sighed as she leaned against him, relishing the warmth he provided.

Toothless rested nearby, flapping his tail-fin every now and then while keeping a careful eye on the pair. Even if he couldn't understand why everyone on the island as so anxious, he seemed to understand that they weren't technically supposed to see each other, even at night. So, he did what any good dragon friend did and got in the way when things got intimate.

' _I do not understand why you are so worried_ ,' Snowfire sniffed, resting her snout against Alex's shoulder. ' _You humans have such strange traditions, and yet you already consider yourselves mates_.'

Both Hiccup and Alex blushed furiously at that comment. Alex knew that Snowfire meant well, despite the obvious embarrassment that swept through them both.

"Snow, it doesn't become official _until_ the wedding day proceeds," Alex reminded her, "Until then, we're still just engaged."

Snowfire just snorted at that, ' _Why must they make it so complicated_?' she questioned.

"Because, that's what humans do," Hiccup replied with a shrug. Alex only smirked as she found herself snuggling into his side, suddenly wishing that they did have more time together, "We over complicate things. Some, more than others."

Well, he wasn't wrong about that notion. Alex had quickly learned that some people did like to make things more complicated than they needed to be. Heck, the English language only proved that theory. She understood why so many foreigners had trouble learning the language.

"So, how exactly are we going to explain to the people that we've been seeing each other during the night?" she asked curiously, smirking when their eyes met.

"What they don't know won't hurt them," Hiccup replied without hesitation.

Alex struggled not to laugh when she caught the gleam in his eyes. She had to admit, she loved this side of Hiccup, though truthfully, she loved every side of Hiccup. They knew that the longer they stayed out, the higher chances they had of getting caught. Reluctantly, they pulled apart and hopped back into Snowfire and Toothless' saddles and flew back to the village before they could get caught by their respective parties.

…

The next day had been a whirlwind of emotions for Alex. Her mother was staying at their place, while Hiccup stayed at his old place with Valka. It wasn't until feeling someone poking her that Alex groaned and tried blocking out whoever had intruded on her. She could only guess who it was after the poking continued. Since Snowfire was too big to reach the second floor of their house, she slept downstairs. Which left her with only one option.

Alex finally opened an eye and saw her mother watching her, hands on her hips with a look of annoyance written across her face. She bit back another groan and finally sat up when she realized that she must have slept in, again. Though, today would have been one of the few rare occasions where sleeping in was an option, there was still much to do before the wedding ceremony.

"You are not getting away with sleeping in, young lady," her mother scolded her. "Not with the big day ahead of us."

It only took a few seconds for those words to sink in. Alex had been mentally preparing herself for all the madness that would follow before the wedding ceremony, itself. All of the women from Berk would show up at her place, preparing the final touches along with the dress she had chosen. Nothing could have prepared her for the rush of anxiety that swept through her.

"I'm getting married," she finally breathed out after changing.

"Yes, you are," her mother replied, brows furrowing with concern and confusion. As if the idea had finally begun dawning on her, her mother sank down into a nearby chair and stared at her with wide eyes. "My baby girl is getting married!"

"Mom…" Alex knew her silent plea wasn't worth continuing as she reached her and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace.

So much had changed since that fateful start of her camping trip. They had changed, and Alex liked to believe it was for the better. She realized with a start that her mother had become braver and more open about her emotions. Not to mention, she was willing to accept that there were some things that were out of her control.

"Alex, you'll always be my baby girl, no matter what," she whispered as tears blurred the edge of her vision, "I'm just so happy for you."

Alex only grinned at that, despite the tears that were also threatening to overwhelm her. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but wonder how things had turned out the way they did. Fate worked in mysterious ways, as far as she was concerned.

"So, I take it there's more going on than you making sure I get up in time for the preparations?" she asked when they reached the first floor.

The sun had hardly risen, and her mother was rarely up this early unless the occasion demanded it. Though, since she had worked late shifts at the hospital, her mother was used to sleeping in the morning and getting up later in the afternoon.

"I was actually planning on waiting to get you this until I felt you were ready, but, seeing as you're getting married and have grown up, I thought I would give it to you, now," her mother explained after foraging through the chest that Gobber had given them for storage.

Snowfire was already wide awake and watching the pair curiously. Alex reached her side and relished the gentle touch of her snout against the palm of her hand. It was strange not seeing Toothless awake and alert next to her. Though, it was stranger still not to see Hiccup bright and early getting ready for his chiefly duties throughout the village.

' _It will not be much longer_ ,' Snowfire reassured her as if she'd read her thoughts.

"I know," Alex whispered back, smiling at the thought.

Her mother returned moments later with something that was brightly wrapped. Alex rose an eyebrow at the object when she handed it to her.

"This is something that I started working on when you first introduced Hiccup and his friends to me," she explained. "I figured now would be an appropriate time for you to have it."

Alex didn't bother asking what it was. Instead, she carefully unwrapped the gift until eyeing the thick book in awe. The cover itself wasn't decorated with much, other than the word ' _Memories_ ' written across it in elegant handwriting. She knew her mother couldn't have written this, herself. Her handwriting was sloppy, at best, and almost difficult to make out.

It wasn't until opening the scrapbook that Alex found her eyes widening in surprise. Pictures were placed alongside each other. Pictures of herself sitting beside Jacob on the porch before the camping trip. Pictures of when she had introduced her mother to Snowfire for the first time. Pictures of the first time she introduced her mother to Hiccup and his friend. She almost laughed when she recognized the picture of Hiccup when they went to the Valentine's Day dance that had nearly ended in disaster.

"Mom, this is beautiful," she breathed out, finally allowing tears to blur her vision as she continued going through each picture.

"I wanted to give you something meaningful," her mother explained after sitting down beside her. Snowfire rested beside them, her own keen eyes observing each picture curiously. While she may not have understood what they were for, she understood they were important, "Something that would remind you of home in case you get homesick."

That did it. Alex couldn't fight back the tears even if she wanted to. Her mother hugged her tightly, knowing that even if this wasn't the last time they would see one another, she would be seeing her mother less often.

"This is more than I could have asked for, mom," she reassured her between sobs. She wasn't prepared for the rush of guilt that swept through her as she buried her face into her mother's shoulder, "You've done more for me than I could have asked for."

Her mother only let out a small cry of joy at that, before hugging her tighter.

' _Why must you humans cry so much_?' Snowfire rolled her eyes at the sight, looking unnerved with how emotional they both were.

When they finally pulled apart, Alex wiped away the tears and sniffed, "Because that's how humans are when they're emotional," she explained sheepishly.

Snowfire tilted her head to one side, watching the pair curiously, ' _I have seen you cry before, but, not like this_.'

"I think we have more than a few reasons to cry," her mother replied, this time as she too wiped away her tears.

"I wonder how Hiccup's handling himself?" Alex suddenly asked after trying to shake off the rush of emotions.

' _If I know the other hatchling, he will be just as anxious_ ,' Snowfire hummed in amusement, and, Alex only smirked at the thought.

 _Oh, something tells me that I'm in a worse state than he'll be_ , she tried reassuring herself.

…

Hiccup found himself pacing around the living space, with Toothless watching his every movement. That morning had been a mad rush of getting ready and preparing for the actual ceremony later that day. The more he thought about what was happening, the worse his anxiety began to spike.

"Oi, would ye stop pacin' lad," Gobber rolled his eyes when he arrived. "Yer gonna wear a hole in the floor."

"I can't help, Gobber," he groaned after finally stopping. Toothless let out a concerned warble as he looked for an opening, just waiting for the right opportunity to ruin the suit Hiccup had put on earlier that morning. The mischievous Night Fury was just looking for a way to calm his anxious best friend/brother down, "I just can't get over the fact that we're finally getting married."

The blacksmith only rolled his eyes once more and pulled up a stool that Hiccup could finally sink in before his legs gave out. The idea of getting married had been daunting enough. But, to realize that today happened to be their wedding day made it that much worse. It wasn't that he didn't feel ready for it – they had waited long enough for the day to arrive – it was the fact that it was actually happening that left him feeling more anxious than usual.

"Lad, ye need to relax and get over yerself," Gobber reminded him with a pointed look, "Yer only gonna make yerself feel that much worse before the actual ceremony."

Hiccup shot him a scathing look before rubbing his temple in frustration. Not for the first time, he found himself wondering how his own father would have handled the situation. He desperately wished that Stoick was here, not only to see their wedding day, but, to offer whatever advice he could.

"I'm just worried that I'll mess up," he sighed in frustration, "How did dad pull it off without freaking out?"

"Eh, Stoick? Ye should've seen him on his wedding day," Gobber chuckled and pulled up a chair for himself, "He was just as nervous as ye, if not worse. Thought for sure he was gonna take down the whole forest with those nerves of his."

He couldn't hide the small smile from following as he tried picturing Stoick doing just that. The whole forest would have shuddered from the storming of his footsteps. Anyone with a brain would have run for cover and hidden themselves, dragon or otherwise.

"I wish he was here," he admitted, running a hand through his hair as Gobber looked at him sympathetically, "I know I can't turn back time and bring him back, but… I would've loved for him to see us, now."

Gobber suddenly stood up and left him for a moment, disappearing into the room that Valka now slept in. Hiccup watched him warily, ready to say something when he felt Toothless' snout press against his hand.

"Now, this was somethin' Stoick wanted to give ye himself, but, he never got the chance," he heard Gobber explain after hearing objects move around in the other room. Hiccup leaned forward as curiosity got the better of him, wondering if he should help, "He thought it might be an appropriate gift, seeing how close ye and Alex were… er, _are_."

Finally, Gobber returned with an object in his hand. A lump formed in the back of Hiccup's throat when he noticed it was a sword. It didn't look as if it had been used in years, but the blade itself was clean to the point as if it was just recently finished. What caught his attention was the detail on the handle. Inscribed on the handle was the Berkian crest.

"This is… beautiful," he remarked, eyeing the weapon curiously as he noticed how light-weight it was when Gobber handed it over. "Did he make this?"

"With a little help," Gobber replied with a wink and a sheepish grin, "That was the very gift he presented to Valka, as a token of his affection and to show that he would always protect her."

He couldn't hide the smile that followed after realizing that Stoick had left a final parting gift, for him. One that meant more than he could ever repay his father with.

"Thank you, Gobber," he sighed, feeling better than he had all morning. "For everything you've done for me, and this village."

"Ah, it's nothin'," Gobber tried brushing it off, despite the pride that burst within him, "Now, why don't ye go and finish gettin' ready for that weddin' of yers? It's almost time, after all."

Hiccup gave a nod of agreement to that. For the first time since that morning, he felt more than ready for the future that stretched before him. The only thing that mattered now was getting through the day without another panic attack.

* * *

 **AN: I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year! I know mine was exciting as always :) We're getting hit with a coastal winter storm, and the winds have been awful. Kind of makes me feel like I'm on Berk, now that I think about it XD At any rate, this chapter is a bit of a filler, but also kind of important in terms of the gifts that Alex and Hiccup received. Next chapter will hopefully be out in another week or two, but after that it may take me a while to update. I do plan on working Guardians of the Galaxy in this next, but I just need to figure out how to make that work. Big thanks to silverwolvesarecool and Scout017 for reviewing!**

 **Sil - Yep, though, that obviously doesn't happen until the next chapter :P I do love making readers wait XD**

 **Scout017 - XD That is literally my favorite saying. Anytime I'm shiny hunting in Pokemon and find one, I always save after. Like I said, it's better to be safe than sorry :P I actually live on the east coast in the United States, which explains the crazy weather we've been having, lately. It's windy and brutally cold; no one wants to go outside Oo And yeah, it seems like FF has this problem with email alerts every year The same thing happened last year, though it was a little later... hopefully they'll resolve the issue soon enough.**


	15. A Wedding To Remember

**Chapter Fifteen**

 _I'm getting married_.

It was the first thought running through Hiccup's mind as he reached the Great Hall. The room itself had been changed drastically for the occasion. Tables and chairs were moved from the center of the Great Hall to the side with the help of their dragons. Hiccup himself had helped make sure that there was enough room to accommodate the guests, including that of the Avengers and those close to Alex and her mother. Though their family wasn't close, her mother had invited what few family members were willing to stop by.

"You look nervous."

Hiccup glanced at Barton as the archer and Romanoff arrived on cue. The two assassins had been the first to agree with joining them on their wedding day, despite the recent chaos in their world. Hiccup wasn't sure whether he should feel grateful for their support, or nervous that they were there at all.

"Do I really look that bad?" he groaned, looking himself over to make sure that Toothless hadn't licked him.

The Night Fury had been determined to reach him and cause whatever chaos he could. Luckily, Hiccup had known what his best friend/brother was planning, and managed to slip away before that could happen. The suit he had on had been worked on too much, and the occasion was too important for that to happen.

"You look fine," Romanoff reassured him, green eyes impossible to get a read on as usual. Barton was always easier to read; he didn't usually mask his emotions like Romanoff, "Well, we can scratch off Viking weddings from our bucket list of things to do."

For a moment, Hiccup was tempted to ask what she meant by that when he figured Alex would explain it to him, later. There was still so much about her world that he knew next to nothing about. She had been slowly but surely teaching him everything he wanted to know, yet, that didn't mean there was more to discover.

He shook his head at the thought, watching as more guests began to arrive. Hiccup blinked in surprise upon seeing Steve (who insisted on being called that; for whatever reason, he hated being called Captain America). Though most of his injuries had been treated, there were still a few bruises that were easily visible in the low light provided by candles and torches. Toothless was the first to greet him, warbling enthusiastically as he and his friend Wilson arrived.

"Hey, you're a lot cuter when I'm not getting shot at," Wilson remarked, grinning as Toothless offered his famous toothless smile.

"How is it that everyone still thinks you're the cute one?" Hiccup asked no one in particular. He couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed when Toothless reached his side, crooning in amusement. "It's good to see you again… under not so tense circumstances."

"Yeah, you too, Metal Leg," Wilson replied, offering a handshake. Hiccup rose an eyebrow at the nickname, and hadn't missed the look Steve was giving his new friend. "So, how does it feel getting married to someone from our world?"

"Sam—"

"It's fine," Hiccup cut Steve off before he could warn his friend about saying too much. "Just about everyone on Berk already sees Alex as one of their own… but, I'm not going to stop her from visiting your world if she needs to."

Wilson rose an eyebrow in surprise at that, and was ready to say something when he clamped his mouth shut.

By the time the other guests began arriving, Hiccup had begun pacing again. His nerves were getting the better of him. Gobber may have done a good job at helping him get past those nerves, but, seeing everyone watching his every move didn't help matters.

"You, my friend, need to relax," Eret told him when he arrived, slapping him cheerfully on the shoulder, "Anyone would think you were about to meet your doom."

"I can't help it," Hiccup groaned, shaking his head as he finally leaned against a wall post and tried brushing off the rush of anxiety that followed, "I'm terrified."

"Well, it's obvious that you love her," the former dragon trapper remarked, watching as more guests, including Jacob and his mother, who had surprisingly agreed to tag along with him, arrived, "And, something tells me she'll be feeling the same way."

Hiccup almost laughed at that. Alex wasn't the kind of person who showed whether or not she was afraid. He'd quickly learned just how stubborn she was when it came to defending her pride. Much like Astrid, she refused to accept that she needed help when it was required.

"The funny thing is, she and Astrid are more alike than they would ever admit," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly when Eret rose an eyebrow in surprise, "Don't ever tell either of them I said that."

He shuddered at the thought of Astrid using him as target practice if she ever found out. Alex might be a bit more forgiving, but, Hiccup knew she could hold a grudge just as long.

"Your secret is safe with me," Eret replied, though, Hiccup hadn't missed the mischievous grin that followed.

 _Something tells me I'm going to regret telling him that_ , he thought, desperately hoping Eret would hold up to that promise.

…

The house was bustling with activity as Alex's mother and Valka prepared for the wedding ceremony that would be held later that afternoon. She was more than surprised when Astrid and Natasha finally arrived, both talking quietly when they reached the house. Considering how Natasha usually masked her emotions and wasn't the most social person in the world, it was a wonder she got along with Astrid. Alex wasn't entirely surprised, realizing they had more in common due to their training and areas of expertise.

"You look beautiful," Valka reassured her with a warm smile after reaching her, "Much like a true bride."

"Thank you," Alex breathed out, suddenly aware that it was almost time for the wedding to start. She along with the rest of the women helping out before the ceremony had been keeping themselves busy. Knowing what lay ahead, she felt a rush of nerves sweep through her, "I've never felt more nervous, or ready for this," she admitted, glancing over her shoulder warily.

"Believe me when I say that you're not the only one," Natasha spoke up.

Alex rose an eyebrow, though, she didn't bother asking what she meant by that. Something told her that Hiccup had been feeling the same rush of anxiety since the day started. Though, she could only imagine how Toothless was keeping him in line. She almost smirked at the thought, realizing that the mischievous Night Fury would do whatever it took to make his best friend feel better, his way.

' _You will be fine, little one_ ,' Snowfire reassured her, pressing her snout against her open hand.

She couldn't hide the sheepish smile that followed. Snowfire always had a way of making her feel better. Alex had never felt more grateful for Snowfire's support than at that moment. Shaking her head at the thought, she decided that it was better not to feel so nervous.

The attire she'd chosen was a silvery blue dress, with straps that covered her shoulder to keep the scar left by her father hidden. The last thing she wanted was people asking more questions about what abuse she had endured from him. She shook her head at the thought, feeling more than relieved when they finally parted from the house to meet with everyone else at the Great Hall.

Time suddenly felt like it slowed down as she and the rest of the women reached the doors of the Great Hall. Snowfire and Toothless were leading the procession; it was decided that since they were both the Alpha's of Berk, and that there was more than enough room for both dragons and the guests, they would lead the procession. The Night Fury had been waiting with Hiccup since that morning, so, it was a relief to see him along with other familiar faces once the doors opened.

Astrid and Natasha were the first to walk in, soon followed by her mother. Though they were part of the bridal party, it was Astrid who became the maid of honor. Natasha hadn't bothered arguing with the shield maiden after the matter was discussed. Even if Natasha could easily take Astrid down in a sparring session, she wasn't in the mood to do so over something as silly as a title.

Finally, it was Alex's turn. She sucked in a breath after spotting Hiccup standing at the front of the building, with Eret, Fishlegs, Snotlout and Tuffnut standing on his other side. Toothless was standing proudly behind him, with Snowfire sitting across the Night Fury.

"I know Stoick would have been proud to lead you through this hall," Valka whispered as she took hold of Alex's hand.

Alex felt her heart swell with joy at those words. She did wish that Stoick was there to see the wedding. She tried casting the thoughts aside, knowing that while he wasn't there with them physically, she had a feeling he was with them in spirits.

The tables had been pushed to the side of the Great Hall to form a wide aisle for them to walk down. Guests were sitting at the benches watching from a distance, and she couldn't hide the rush of happiness when she spotted Jacob and his mother amongst the crowd. It was rare enough for his mother to venture anywhere near the island of Berk. He must have been able to convince her otherwise.

Everyone watched in awe as Alex strode across the aisle with Valka guiding her. It took everything she had not to duck her head out of sheer embarrassment when she noticed, and kept her gaze focused on Hiccup. He looked handsome, dressed in a suit handmade here on the island of Berk, much like the dress she wore. His usually messy hair was combed back, and the longer strands were tied in braids.

Gobber and Gothi were already waiting for her when she reached them. Since they had agreed to keeping it a traditional Viking wedding, there were a few foundations that Gothi presented them. One of those foundations had been the cup of mead they both had to drink out of, one that was passed down from Chief to Chief.

"Berkians and visitors!" Gobber bellowed once the room fell into silence, "We are gathered here today to join Alexandra McKain Hendrickson, and Hiccup Haddock III in matrimony. Marriage is an age-old tradition here on Berk, and, a special occasion, especially when the Chief is involved. Now, if there is anyone who objects this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace." Silence followed. Alex held her breath, finally meeting Hiccup's eyes when she noticed he was equally as anxious to get this over with as she felt, "Very well, then," Gobber grinned, clasping his hands together eagerly, "Now, who here gives this woman to be wed?"

"I do," Alex's mother spoke up from where she stood, looking more than apprehensive.

Gothi then approached them with the cup of mead that was offered to them. Alex had quickly learned that the drinking of the mead was their way of signifying their union. It was an age-old tradition that was passed down from generation to generation. She and Hiccup drank from the cup, showing they were bound by the drink before offering their prayers to the gods.

"And, now, the couple shall exchange their rings and their vows, and the groom shall bequeath his bride his family sword," Gobber continued.

Hiccup and Alex turned to face each other. It was the first time that morning when Alex felt her mind spinning with the reality that this was actually happening. Despite her earlier doubt, she knew for a fact that she was ready for this. Especially when she thought of the future that lay before them.

"I, Hiccup Haddock III, take you, Alexandra McKain Hendrickson, to be my beloved wife. From this day forward, I will be forever yours. I promise to love you, always, to protect you, to honor you, to fight by your side and to be there for you, no matter what obstacles might stand in our way. I love you, forever and until even after the day I die," Hiccup stated, his voice filled with warmth and affection.

By now, Alex couldn't fight back the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. She knew that he was telling the truth. From the day they met, their lives had changed. After everything they had been through, this only felt right.

"I, Alexandra McKain Hendrickson, take you, Hiccup Haddock III to be my husband. To this day, I will always be yours, and yours alone. As your lawfully wedded wife, I promise to love you unconditionally, and always be there for you, through the good times and the bad, through sickness and through health. Even though we're worlds apart, that isn't going to stop me from loving you, even after death."

Her voice was shaken with both happiness and joy. The experience was like nothing she had ever felt. Alex realized with a start that even though it was just a wedding, there was so much more meaning to it than that. Joining in union meant that nothing would keep them apart. She knew now that staying on Berk had been one of the best decisions she could have made.

Once their vows were exchanged, Jacob stepped forward with the rings in hand. Since he had been Alex's best friend, and would continue being so, it was agreed that while he wasn't part of the wedding, he'd be the ring bearer. Alex couldn't hide the smile that followed when their eyes met. It felt like years ago since that fateful camping trip when their lives changed forever. Now, they were both different people leading different lives. But, that would never stop them from being good friends, or, Jacob looking out for her when he could.

"Thank you, Jacob," Alex mouthed the words when they took the rings, grinning when she caught the look that followed. He simply returned the gesture with a nod, smirking before returning to his seat beside his mother.

Hiccup turned to face Alex once more, having accepted the rings before he pulled out the sword that was given to him earlier that day, "With this ring and sword, I pledge my love and fidelity to you," he said after handing Alex the sword and slipping the ring onto her finger before she did the same with him.

"With this ring, and the acceptance of your sword, I accept your pledge and vow the same pledge to you," she replied.

Gothi quickly raised her staff once their exchange was finished as a way of showing that the union was officially bound.

"By the powers invested by us, the elders and the gods, we now pronounce you husband and wife," Gobber concluded the ceremony with a cheerful smile of his own, though, it looked as if he was trying to hide a tear that rolled down his cheek.

"I love you, forever and always," Hiccup whispered after reaching out and cupping his hand around Alex's cheek.

"I love you too, forever and always," Alex whispered back, feeling a rush of joy as their lips met for a kiss.

Everyone in the room cheered after that. Alex was struggling not to let out a mixture of a laugh and a cry of sheer happiness when she heard Snotlout and Tuffnut's cheers the loudest, followed surprisingly by Clint. One nudge from Steve was all it took for him to quiet down, though, that didn't stop even Sam from grinning like an idiot when it was over. Alex almost laughed when she noticed Tony had to turn to hide the fact that he was actually crying, along with Fishlegs.

"He gets emotional," Natasha quipped after catching Tony's expression and struggling not to smirk at the sight.

"So do they," Ruffnut crowed with laughter at the sight of Gobber and Fishlegs wiping their eyes.

When they broke apart for air, Alex could only grin as her eyes met Hiccup's, who by now was grinning, himself.

"Guess this means you're stuck with me for the rest of your life," she breathed out. Hiccup only chuckled at that and pressed his forehead against hers, suddenly feeling elated at the thought.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," he said without missing a beat.

' _It is about time_ ,' Snowfire crooned with amusement, watching as they kissed once more. Toothless finally chose that moment to lick Hiccup affectionately, warbling with laughter when he groaned in mock disgust.

"Toothless, you know that doesn't come out!" he grumbled as the others laughed at the Night Fury's antics.

Toothless just looked back innocently, offering a puppy-dog gaze that would melt the hearts of anyone watching him. Alex finally let out a burst of laughter, all-too-aware that this was Toothless' way of congratulating his best friend/brother.

"I still have to throw the bouquet," Alex whispered after catching her breath.

Hiccup gave a nod at that, watching as she threw the bouquet without looking where it landed. Ruffnut and Astrid were scrambling from where they stood, followed by a crowd of Berkian women who were eager to follow the tradition of catching it. Astrid caught the bouquet with ease, after managing to shove Ruffnut out of the way. The grin written across her face was priceless, especially when she turned to face Eret, who looked equally amused.

"Well, are you ready to face the world?" Hiccup asked, cupping her hand with his.

"I think at this point, I'm ready for just about anything," she replied, squeezing his hand as they led everyone out of the Great Hall.

Truer words couldn't have been said. Alex knew that their lives were always going to be challenging due to the fact that they were from different worlds. But, that wasn't going to stop her from rising to the challenge. Especially when she saw what possibilities lay ahead of her.

* * *

 **AN: I know it wasn't exactly a traditional Viking wedding, but I haven't really done any research into them /: Plus, this story is anything but traditional XD At any rate, I thought I was long overdue for an update. Sorry for the long wait; the next chapter is already being worked on, and hopefully it won't take as long to post. Though, I wouldn't hold your breath. Big thanks to silverwolvesarecool and Scout017 for reviewing!**

 **Sil - Lol, something tells me that's always going to be the case ;) Yeah, I thought that was a fitting gift for Gobber to give Hiccup, given how close they are.**

 **Scout017 - I had a feeling it was you reviewing as 'Guest' :) I actually live in the far northeast, in the New England area. Which explains why I'm so familiar with the terrain I write about. And lol, I wasn't planning on making anyone cry. It's good to know my writing can have that effect :P I love Gobber's relationship with Hiccup. I've always seen him as a second father-figure when Stoick wasn't around to be there for him. As for the Avenger's showing up, I think this chapter answered that question :)**


	16. After Party

**Chapter Sixteen**

Parties were something Alex had never been fond of in her world. They were usually loud, obnoxious and full of people who thought too highly of themselves. Viking parties were an entirely different story. It didn't take her long to realize that Berkians were known for throwing wild parties. Since they had chosen to keep their wedding as traditional as possible with a few changes from the modern world, Alex and Hiccup agreed to at least host the party at the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was big enough to hold just about everyone, including their dragons. So, Alex wasn't surprised that Snowfire and Toothless spent most of their time with them. They didn't stray far from their Riders as people began congratulating the newlyweds.

Alex herself was still trying to wrap her mind over the fact that she and Hiccup were now married. She always knew that the day would finally arrive. It was the idea of getting married that left her stomach churning with anxiety, while her heart fluttered with joy.

' _Why must humans always be so loud_?' Snowfire complained when a few of the Vikings began shouting amongst each other.

"Just wait a few minutes; it's not going to get any better," Hiccup warned her.

Alex threw him a wary look, suddenly aware that he had a point. Drinks were already being passed around with large mugs filled with ale. Gobber had a particular drink that was stronger than the alcohol Alex had gotten used to, and he was more than happy to serve it at the party.

"I still can't believe you're finally married."

She rose an eyebrow at the sound of Clint's voice as the archer reached them, along with Natasha and Steve. Tony and Pepper had even joined them, along with Sam. She was almost relieved that the whole team stayed to watch and join them in their festivities. She knew how difficult it was for people from the modern world to adjust to life on Berk, but the team had slowly begun acclimating to this world.

"It does seem like yesterday when we first met," she couldn't help but nod in agreement.

It was strange to imagine how their lives had all merged together. There was a point in her life when all she wanted was to graduate from high school and get through college. Never did she expect to find herself meeting Hiccup, Snowfire or the rest of the Riders, along with the Avengers.

"Yep. That was still the worst day in my life," Clint muttered under his breath. Alex almost burst out laughing when Natasha nudged him in the ribs, hard. She knew that getting along with Clint was anything but easy. But, he had his rare moments where she could tolerate him for more than a few seconds. "Alright, so it wasn't so bad. I still wish I hadn't gotten knocked off my ass by her."

He pointed an accusing finger in Snowfire's direction as if to prove a point.

' _If you hadn't been such an annoying human, perhaps I would not have done that_ ,' she huffed in annoyance. ' _I would gladly do it again if I need to_.'

By now, Alex was struggling not to laugh when Clint's face fell. She could still remember the first time they encountered each other. Snowfire hadn't been the least bit happy when she found out he was threatening them, along with Astrid. The good news was, they tolerated each other now. Though there was still a lot of obvious tension between them.

"At any rate," Natasha started with a roll of her eyes, "It's good to see that the two of you finally tied the knot. We'll be keeping in touch if anything changes in our world."

"Hopefully that won't be the case," Steve muttered after shaking his head at the thought.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Alex pointed out knowingly.

After everything that happened, she knew now that the best thing they could do as a team was be prepared for anything. Though the Avengers still lived apart, it was obvious that the world needed them now more than ever.

' _Especially after what recently happened_ ,' Snowfire voiced her thoughts.

She couldn't help but grimace at that. When Director Fury asked her to work with Steve and Natasha, she never expected the Winter Soldier or Hydra to become such a problem. She was only thankful that the damage hadn't been worse. Experience taught her that things could have turned out a lot worse if they hadn't worked together.

Thankfully, they left it at that. Alex let out a sigh of relief once they were gone. The rest of the party was bustling with activity as Gobber passed out his drinks. She couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with how crowded the room was.

"Remind me again why we decided to invite everyone from Berk to this party?" she asked when she noticed that her mother was hiding between Valka and Astrid.

Her mother did a better job at hiding how uncomfortably awkward it was for her. She might have gotten used to visiting Berk, but, Alex suspected her mother would never get used to being among Vikings for any period of time.

"Well, Gobber's the one who insisted we throw a party," Hiccup reminded her knowingly.

He threw her a sympathetic look when he realized the reason behind her unease. She hated being the center of attention, and everyone had been focusing on them since it was their wedding party. About the only consolation she had was that it hadn't been a traditional party. She knew she wouldn't have been able to put up with the spotlight for long.

"I suppose it's better than having to do what everyone from our world would," she muttered with a shake of her head.

"What do they do in your world?" he asked curiously. He only got a small idea of how weddings operated in the modern world when her mother tried convincing them to hold the ceremony there.

"The bride and groom usually have the first dance," she explained with a small shrug, "Then the bride usually dances with their mother and father."

She grimaced at the thought of having to go through that. It wasn't until noticing the sly smirk written across Hiccup's face that she guessed what he was thinking. The last dance they had been to ended in disaster, in front of her entire class.

"Don't even think about it," she snapped before he could get a word in, "I still have bad memories of our last 'first dance'."

Hiccup tried not to laugh when he reached for her waist, "You know, if I remember correctly, it wasn't our fault the dance ended so badly."

Alex only rolled her eyes knowingly as she kissed him lightly on the forehead. She knew it wasn't their fault for things going wrong. Most of the kids in her school had been curious about where Hiccup came from in the first place. He'd been a stranger to them, and technically, he still was. At least now they had the excuse to say they were no longer strangers if anyone tried asking. She often wondered whatever happened to her classmates.

 _Abigail used to be my best friend until she moved on_ , she thought guiltily.

Jessica was still a pain in the ass. Jacob mentioned on more than one occasion how demanding she could be if things didn't go her way. The hardest part of it all was knowing that they'd drifted apart _because_ of Jessica. While Alex had no doubt they would have eventually forgotten about each other, it still hurt at times to know that it happened in the first place.

"I wonder what people would say if they saw us now?" she wondered out loud.

There were so many times when she thought of telling everyone about Berk and everything it had to offer. But, the more she thought about it, the more Alex realized how much that would end in disaster. The only reason the world knew about dragons existing now was because of Hydra's leaks, along with SHIELD's.

"Don't tell me the two of you are going to get all mushy now?" Alex cringed at the sound of Astrid's voice. The shield maiden smirked when she caught them red-handed. Her arms crossed as she looked between Alex and Hiccup when they reluctantly pulled apart. "Relax, I was only joking."

"Technically we are allowed to kiss in public now," Hiccup pointed out.

Alex couldn't hide the sheepish grin that followed as she leaned into him.

"There aren't enough drinks in the world for me to unsee any of that," Astrid retorted, though Alex hadn't missed the amusement dancing across her eyes.

It was hard to believe that nearly four years ago, they hadn't gotten along. Astrid had finally begun warming up to Alex after realizing that they did share a lot in common, despite how different they were. Their stubbornness and the urge to protect their friends was what had brought them together.

"There's plenty of time to get 'mushy' when the party is over," Alex decided knowingly.

She knew it would be a busy night for the two of them. Though they agreed to maintain most of the Viking tradition, there was one disagreement they had. Marriage consummation was a big deal among most Viking tribes. Alex had heard enough stories from Tony and Clint that some tribes would stay around the newlywed's house until they reached their climax, and check the following morning to make sure it happened at all. Fortunately, she and Hiccup had already reached an agreement that that wouldn't be happening tonight.

"By the way, Gobber offered everyone a round of drinks, again," Astrid went on after grimacing at the thought of what they did on their own.

Even _she_ didn't need to know the full details.

' _If you consume anymore alcohol, you will all be rolling to your beds by the end of tonight_ ,' Snowfire hummed in amusement.

She looked more relieved than anything else to stay by Toothless' side during the party. Anything to avoid the added attention was fine by her. Though, Alex couldn't hide the grin that followed at her comment. She could already picture Tony and the others reaching that point.

"Isn't the alcohol on Berk stronger than the stuff you'd normally find in modern times?" she asked when Jacob joined them.

"I would say so," he quipped, smirking when Tony suddenly burst into a fit of giggles moments later. Pepper had one arm around him while she took his mug. Her look of annoyance meant that she'd reached her limit. "By the way, what did Stark ever do with that second portal?"

"He had it moved to a secret location," Alex explained with a shrug. She'd asked him if he could do that for the sake of the dragons. If word got out that there were portals, which by now, most people already knew, there would be chaos. The last thing she wanted was people from her world trying to invade Berk with modern technology. "I know it may seem selfish, but I'd rather avoid war if possible between Berk and the modern world."

Tony had been generous enough to offer everyone involved with SHIELD's fall free housing until everything was settled. The portal that usually led to Avenger's Tower was still operable. The one she usually used had been moved back into her mother's backyard. As much as she hated to admit it, she trusted her mother more than she would ever trust a public figure.

"It's a good thing you managed to convince everyone that dragons aren't a threat in our world," Jacob mused thoughtfully. He sat down nearby while observing the party that was only just beginning to get worse. Alex furrowed her brows together in frustration when she noticed it only seemed to get louder with each passing hour. "I'm not sure what would've happened if things took a turn for the worse."

' _The humans of your world would be wise to avoid ours_ ,' Snowfire mused thoughtfully. ' _We are not easy targets_.'

"No, you're not," Alex nodded in agreement.

Though, she was fully aware that wouldn't stop people from trying to hurt dragons or take advantage of them. That was part of the reason she and Hiccup had been hopeful the press conference would convince the public of awareness. Dragons weren't just measly pets that everyone seemed to think of them as. If they saw a threat, they quickly took care of it, and it wouldn't be long before they began seeing the humans of their world as a threat if they were attacked. She just hoped that they could find a way of convincing them otherwise before any of that happened.

…

By the time the party began to dwindle down, Alex was left rummaging for things to keep her occupied. She and Hiccup had decided to stay at the Great Hall until everyone left. It only seemed right, since the party had been thrown in their honor. Now, she was beginning to regret that decision. Even Snowfire and Toothless had fallen asleep after a few hours into the party. They'd had enough with the loud noises that surrounded them. Not that Alex couldn't blame them.

She shuffled awkwardly for the nearest table to try and gather her thoughts. Viking parties could go on throughout the night and well into the morning. Hiccup had warned her that it would likely happen. She didn't want to believe him, and was now fighting the exhaustion that threatened to take over.

"You look like you could use a warm cup of tea," Valka remarked as she reached her. She hardly looked surprised that Alex was so exhausted. She had been working day and night just days before the wedding to get everything ready. Now, they had to wait it out and hope everyone left to get a decent night's sleep. "Along with a warm bed."

"I'm not exactly the partying type," Alex admitted sheepishly. She looked down at the floor guiltily as Valka gestured for her to join her. Hiccup was talking with Eret and Gobber, which gave them the perfect opportunity to talk. "I never was."

Truthfully, there were about a hundred things she would have rather done than be the center of attention, or have a wild party. She had been mentally preparing herself for the day of their wedding because of that.

"I know the feeling," Valka replied. She watched Alex thoughtfully, aware that they had more in common than either would ever admit out loud. "I usually prefer keeping to myself during any party, especially when they get as wild as this."

Alex couldn't hide the small smile that followed when she realized how similar they were in some ways. She was grateful to have someone she could relate to on Berk, other than Hiccup. Valka was one of the most caring people she met in this world. Though, Gobber was a close second when it came to talking to someone.

"I still can't believe that we're finally married," she murmured after glancing at the ring Hiccup had given her. It was a wonder their relationship had lasted for as long as it did, for what she put him through. "It still seems like a dream."

"Oh, the first few weeks will feel like that," Valka reassured her with an amused chuckle.

She rose an eyebrow in surprise until she noticed that Valka was joking. Though, she recalled her mother telling a story of how she and her father had been so happy at one time. Her mother never knew that he was working for Hydra. It wasn't until almost a year ago when he emerged from the shadows that everyone realized he was still alive. The worst part was, she'd suffered from his abuse. She never told Hiccup what he did to her, partly because she knew it would only infuriate him.

 _He cares so much, and I don't want to see him getting hurt because of my mistakes_ , she thought as she glanced in his direction.

"I can't wait to show these photos to my reading group," her mother suddenly chimed in when she reached them. Alex merely rolled her eyes when she noticed how proud her mother looked as she sifted through the photos on her phone. "I hope some of them turned out better than these, the lighting was a bit awkward in the Great Hall."

"Do you really think showing photos of a completely different world is a good idea, mom?" Alex deadpanned after realizing what her mother was insinuating.

She knew how much it meant to her mother to show off their wedding ceremony.

"Sweetie, most people know that dragons exist, now," her mother reminded her without missing a beat. "Besides, I should have a right to show off my baby girl's wedding."

That was enough for her cheeks to turn a faint shade of pink. She was ready to say something when she thought better of it. Her mother always found some way of embarrassing her without even realizing it, and tonight was no different.

"Are parents always this fussy about showing off their photos in your world?" Hiccup asked when he joined them a few seconds later.

Alex's shoulders sagged in relief as she found herself leaning into him. She was exhausted, but a small part of her was grateful he showed up when he did.

"No." "Yes."

Both Alex and her mother spoke at the same time, and Hiccup was struggling to hide the smirk that followed as he noticed the similarities.

"They've been asking how you're doing, and it's only right to be honest with them," her mother insisted with a knowing look.

Alex bit back a sigh of frustration when she realized there was no point in arguing with her mother. As much as she hated to admit it, this was her mother's way of making up for lost time. Despite her mother's best attempts at embarrassing her, she still loved her. After everything they had been through, she couldn't imagine life without her mother. And, as she thought about it, she began to understand that their worlds would always have a connection because of that close bond.

* * *

 **AN: I'll admit, I'm not very good when it comes to writing filler-chapters or one-shots. I am trying, though. This chapter took forever for me to post because I'm still working on the next chapter, which I apologize for. I'm not sure when the next update will be, but, hopefully it won't take as long. At any rate, thanks silverwolvesarecool for reviewing!**

 **Sil - I think even Clint knows better than to play a prank during a wedding (unless it involves Tony and Pepper; that's a whole different story :P). And thanks, the New England area is beautiful, just very snowy during the winter and colder. We're expecting a blizzard to hit us again; hopefully that won't happen, because we're also planning a trip to the Philly flower show this week D:**


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